Valiant Spirits
by wolfwitch94
Summary: Because of a supernatural ability, Valerie Darby has been forced to live away from her mother and brother. But now she must use her powers to rescue the amnesiac Optimus and stop Unicron before the Matrix fails. OP/OC.
1. police raids and weird voices

**A/N:Hey, so this is my first fanfiction. This idea has been brewing in the back of my mind for a while now and I've finally plucked up the courage to start writing it. It's a bit slow the first chapter or two Hope you like it. **

**Oh, I own nothing, except Val, Ziggy, and Lola**

Movies and TV shows really overdramatize undercover work. The hero/heroine is always dressed to the nines in some sexy leather outfit equipped with an insane amount of hidden weaponry, and they have an entire SWAT team hiding in the wings in case something goes wrong. And something always goes wrong but by the time the backup gets there the protagonist has already gone and done some bad guy butt whipping.

My current situation was not at all like the movies. I was not dressed all in leather, and the only special gadgets that I came with were a hidden earpiece and a small microphone wedged between my boobs. As for backup; there were several vans filled with Seattle's finest ten minutes from where I was. So if shit hits the fan I had better be good at dancing around bullets.

_"Hey, did I mention you look super sexy as a red head?"_ came the voice of fellow investigator Joey Hopps from my earpiece.

"Did I mention that I know about a dozen ways to chop off your balls and turn them into accessories?" I murmured.

Joey laughed _"You sweet talker you. Now get in there and catch us some baddies." _

"Do it yourself you lazy-ass." I grumbled, squaring my shoulders and marching towards a small, rundown warehouse. What was it with bad guys and warehouses?

Rain was pouring down as I made my way towards the entrance. A black leather ensemble may look fabulous and intimidating on screen, but a drab grey windbreaker beats it out in weather like this, which for Seattle, is almost every day.

I reached for the handle but the door wouldn't budge. This was the rendezvous point, wasn't it?

"Front entrance is closed off," Said a voice from behind me, "they don't want any Girl Scouts coming to sell cookies, you know?"

I turned my head to see Hugo Dobic, ex-drug dealer, standing beside me. His brown hair hung lank around his shoulders and his cloths were rumpled and looked in need of a good wash; no change whatsoever from the last time I saw him.

"So I'm gonna take a guess here and say they got you wired." he said conversationally.

I nodded.

Dobic grinned. "Right, well then let's go get us that murdering son-of-a-bitch."

I gestured for him to lead the way.

We walked silently around to the loading area. I banged on the door. A guy who looked like he could be Hulk Hogan's stunt double answered the door.

I smiled flirtatiously "I'm here to see Mr. Domonero."

"You got an appointment?" he grunted.

I unzipped the duffle bag I'd been carrying and showed him a wad of high-marked bills.

"Good enough." He let me through, Dobic squeezing in after me.

_"Alright, that went smoothly enough."_ Joey murmured in my ear. Thank you Captain Obvious.

The Hogan look-alike led me down the hall to an office somewhere within the bowels of the warehouse. At the door were two guards and another stood just inside door way. The headman himself sat at large expensive looking desk that contrasted greatly with the surroundings. I plopped the bag down in front of him.

Mr. Domonero glanced up at me. "And who do we have here?"

"New recruit." I said.

Mr. Domonero raised an eyebrow "Shouldn't someone like you be working at Hooters? Paying off college loans?"

I shrugged, "Can't make enough on tips and minimum wage, thought I'd take on a side gig to help pay the bills. A friend of mine told me business was good working for a guy like you so I thought I'd come looking."

"A friend?" Domonero asked.

"Yeah, Hugo Dobic. Know him?"

_"Who's Dobic?"_ Joey asked.

"You bet he does." Dobic growled beside me, glaring daggers at the man behind the desk.

"Have you spoken to him recently?" Domonero asked.

"Nah, can't seem to find him. But he told me that I need to pay some sort of assurance fee," I nodded toward the bag "mind you, it took me awhile to scrounge up all that so I hope the bucks come in quickly."

Domonero smiled, "You are a very forward young lady Miss…?"

"Grouper. Kinsey Grouper. And please no fish jokes." I grimaced.

He chuckled "Miss Grouper, I must say I like your attitude. But I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about by my "business"."

_"All you gotta do is get him to talk about the drugs. Then we'll tag and bag him." _Joey whispered. Once again, thank you Captain Obvious.

"Don't worry, you're hot looking. Domonero always gives in the hot looking ones." Dobic encouraged. I had to struggle not to roll my eyes.

"Well if you don't know, then I guess I came to the wrong warehouse. Sorry about that. I've must have taken a wrong turn; I've got a lousy sense of direction." I made to leave but was blocked by biceps-for-brains.

"Now, now Miss Grouper that won't be necessary; I was only teasing. I'm sure we can find a line of work for you." Domonero stood up and I had to bite my tongue to keep from laughing. I passed five-foot-ten easily, without heels, but this guy was five-foot-nothing. The new up and coming drug lord wasn't even taller than a 6th grader.

"Okie-dokie. But what exactly would I be doing?" I asked.

Domonero scrutinized me with a look that would have most women reaching for their can of mace.

After a moment's hesitation he said "Why don't you take Dobic's job? It might be a bit much for a beginner but you seem like you could handle it?"

"Dobic's job; that's crack right?" I asked, trying to play the part of the dummy, "At least that's what I think he sold."

"And other stuff too, I wasn't picky." Dobic chimed in.

"Yes. And on occasion he'd sell off any of our other stock that we had excess of." Domonero said. "Now we can't give you anything to sell at the moment; we're actually changing locations. Meet us at the Southside docks tomorrow at noon and I'll give you a personal tour of our facility and stock rooms."

_"That's enough to nab. Sit tight, we'll be there in a few." _Joey said.

Boy was this Domonero an idiot for a pretty face. He was about to be nailed for a drug bust, and he's sitting there smiling away. Shouldn't drug dealers be smarter than this? I glanced over at Dobic. Let's see if I can get Domonero for homicide as well.

"What about Hugo?" I asked innocently "Won't he be pissed if I take his job?"

"Unfortunately we had to terminate that business relationship." Domonero said.

"Terminate? Terminate? Is that what you call it?" Dobic roared "What sucky sci-fi movie did you get that word from?"

He lunged forward and raised his fist to punch Domonero. I bit my lip to stop from calling out. Dobic swung and would've knocked Domonero flat on his back with one hit, except his hand went right through Domonero's head.

"Shit, I forgot. This whole being dead thing is a real pain in the ass." Dobic whined.

"No kidding." I retorted.

"Pardon?" Domonero asked.

Crap, forgot they couldn't see.

"You killed him didn't you?" I asked.

"_Whoa, wait, what?" _Joey sputtered. _"Domonero… homicide? Where the hell… coming up with this…" _

Joey's words faded in and out like a bad radio channel. Crap, had the earpiece broke? I looked at Domonero; his lips were moving but nothing was coming out. Dobic was still trying to strangle his former boss, his mouth undoubtedly forming a plethora of swear words, only I couldn't hear them. What was going on?

Then my vision decided to take a hike. Then my legs gave out. I could feel myself rushing towards the ground but I didn't feel the impact. Instead a presence filled my mind and body, spreading warmth throughout me.

"_Human…"_ a voice that seemed as old as time itself whispered into my ears and soul. _"Human, you are the only one who can hear me. You must help. Orion has lost his way. The Matrix is failing. You must…"_ but its words were fading away, as was the presence. Reality was rushing back.

"_Please…help." _was the last I heard.

First sense I got back was hearing. And whatever it was I was hearing it was loud. There were shouts and gunshots going off. I felt someone drag me to standing position and then cart me off with their arm around my neck. As my vision slowly faded in I saw several officers running down the hall towards us. I glanced up and saw one of the goons holding me.

"Let the girl go." One of the officers commanded.

I bristled. Girl? Seriously? I was young but I was an adult. How about woman? Or at least young lady?

The muscleman holding me gripped my throat and reached for his gun.

Oh, no. I wasn't having any of that. First I had a spirit trying to force communication with me, now I was going to be held hostage. No way in h-e-double-toothpick. I mule-kicked the guy as hard as I could in the place where the sun doesn't shine. He doubled over, releasing me. I hit him with a nice uppercut for good measure. He went down.

I turned to Domonero and the rest of his lackies. "I wouldn't try to escape if I were you. I'm seriously pissed off right now and you don't want to make things worse."

They stared at me for a moment before they were tackled by a group of uniforms. I made sure they were subdued properly before I slouched out of the warehouse. Joey Hopps came jogging up to me.

"You ok? It sounded like you fell." Joey asked.

"Yeah sorry, it's PMS and I had a mega-cramp."

Joey grimaced "Didn't need to know that."

"So do we have enough to keep Domonero behind bars for awhile?"

"Well we dispatched another team to the warehouse at Southside. They called back saying they found quite a stockpile. The drugs alone will get him a long time in the slammer, but with the homicide…"

"He admitted to it?"

"Yeah, we heard it on the tape. Didn't you?"

I cringed and rubbed my stomach "No, wasn't paying attention; cramps."

Joey shrugged "Right, well now we got him for drugs and murder. By the way, how'd you know?"

"About what?"

"Hugo Dobic."

I wiggled my fingers at him. "I've got powers beyond your comprehension."

Joey snorted "O-kay, you're weird."

I smiled grimly "You don't know the half of it."

"We're gonna wrap things up here, you should go home and get some rest. Tomorrow's gonna be full of paperwork."

I groaned "One of my favorite things."

Joey bumped my shoulder "I'll get Todd to take you home." He waved over a uniformed officer.

"Howdy Val" Todd said.

"Hey Todd, how's the wife and kids." I asked as I followed him back to the cruiser.

"Fine, just fine." Todd was not a man of many words. Which was fine by me; I had quite a bit to think about.

As we drove away from the scene my mind wandered back to the spirit. I'd never encountered such a strong one before. Usually when spirits want my help they take human form and ask or just annoy the hell out of me until I snap. But this one actually grabbed hold of me, its presence actually had a physical effect on me.

My father had once told me that some of the older spirits could muster up enough energy to have some pull in this world, but whoever, or _whatever_ that was certainly was not your common household ancient. It had _power_. And I definitely got the feeling that this would not be the last time I'd be hearing from it. It had a message that it needed to get across. I just hope it didn't decide to visit while I was driving, or worse, in the bathroom.

What was it the thing said? Something about a guy named Orion? Was it talking about the constellation Orion? Something else about a matrix? Well the only "matrix" I knew of was that confusing movie trilogy that Ziggy had made me watch; the one starring that Reeves guy. I sighed and rubbed my eyes, spirits could be _so_ annoying when they're cryptic.

I waved goodbye to Todd after he dropped me off at my apartment. The rain had dissolved into a mist now. I turned my face up to the sky and let the moisture cover me.

_Right, you're going to hear this spirit out._ I told myself. _It's just another soul in need of help, it just happens to be a whole heck of a lot stronger than anything you've encountered before. No reason to get spooked. _

Still I felt a nervous flutter in my stomach.

No! I was not going to be intimidated by a ghost!

No ghoulie was going to frighten me!

After all Valerie Darby lived to see the dead.

**I'm pretty sure that's not how a drug bust goes down, but I did my best. Please review!**


	2. Meet Ziggy, Lola, andPrima?

**Ok, Chapter 2, sorry if there's some technical issues, i'm still trying to figure this site out.**

I trudged into my apartment, dumping my coat on the shabby coat hanger by the door. That's a great word to describe the apartment: shabby. The place is clean and in order, but everything is way on the worn side. Most of our furniture was bought second hand, we actually have a folding table and matching chairs that act as our kitchen table.

But it's not furniture and decorations that make a house (or apartment) a home; it's the people and experiences that fill it. That's why I love this tiny two bedroom one bathroom place with its sucky air conditioning in the summer, and even worse heating in the winter.

"Anybody home?" I called.

Nobody answered; Lola must still be working at one of her restaurant gigs and Zig-zag was doing whatever it was that Zig-zag did whenever he wasn't glued to his computer, probably bugging Lola. Now was the time to enjoy the few quiet moments in the apartment. I kicked off my boots and padded into the bathroom to get rid of today's getup.

I flicked on the bathroom light to see a tanned, blue-eyed redhead staring back at me from the mirror. I smirked at my reflection; I guess Joey was right; I did look pretty good as a ginger. Pulling off the wig, I shook out my choppy chin-length black hair. Then I washed off whatever makeup I'd put on. The guys down at the station said that I should where this gunk more often: make me look more feminine. My response to them was: I'll start wearing it as soon as you do.

Now that the war paint had been removed, all that was left were the contacts. They weren't prescription; I had way better than 20/20 vision, but I needed something to cover up my natural eye color. I removed the colored contacts and dropped them into their little holders filled with the solution.

Looking back at my reflection I gazed at the eyes that marked me for the past fifteen years as someone with the _Spiritus Potens_. My eyes used to be blue like my mother's and younger brother's, but now one silver-white and one onyx-black stared back at me. Supposedly the colors varied from family to family of those with the _Spiritus Potens_. I had never met anyone else with this ability so I wouldn't know.

A loud knock interrupted my reverie.

"Val? Val, are you in there? If so, please for the love of God get out! This is an emergency! I repeat, I'm at death-con one out here. I need access to the toilet right now!"

I rolled my eyes. What had Ziggy done now?

Said Ziggy was waiting outside, clutching his gut and doing a pretty good rendition of an Irish tap dance.

"Move, move, move, move, move!" he pushed past me, slamming the bathroom door behind him.

"So what sort of crap did Zig-zag digest this time?" I asked.

"A half-gallon of Pepsi in under a minute." replied a voice behind. Lola walked into the kitchen, setting her guitar case on the table.

"A half-gallon of Pepsi." I reiterated.

"In under a minute." Lola added.

"You did tell him he was an idiot right?" I asked.

"Hey I won twenty bucks!" Ziggy protested from inside the bathroom.

"Twenty dollars won't pay for the hospital bill when your kidneys fail." I yelled through the door.

"Hey," Ziggy replied, emerging from the bathroom looking triumphant. "My body is one well-oiled machine. It can take anything." A look of pain crossed his face. "Hold that thought." He ran back into the bathroom.

Lola shook her head. "Remind me again why we let him stay."

I grinned. "He gets us free cable."

My friendships with Zacharian (Zig-zag) Laprin and Lola Allios had some very weird beginnings. For starters, the first time I met either them they had been trying to steal from me. A little over two years ago, I had just getting started working for Seattle P.D., I had noticed that an online account of mine had been hacked and a few hundred dollars had been taken. With the help of some of the department's more tech-savvy agents, I tracked down the perpetrator. I expected to find some detestable fiend sitting behind multiple computer monitors cackling as he stole thousands from innocent citizens. Instead I found a half starved albino who looked like he gone a couple rounds with Rocky Balboa. So I took him home, gave him a decent meal, and threatened to have his ass thrown in federal prison if he ever did it again. Then I offered him the spare room in my apartment for the night. He stayed that night, and the night after that, and the week after that, and the month after that. Zig-zag now does computer repairs, and helps with occasional hacking jobs for the P.D., the spare room has now been transformed into what I like to call "the Ziggy Cavern."

Lola's own attempt at theft was a bit different. She'd tried to pick my pocket. Unfortunately for her she had tried to pick my pocket while I was on a sort-of-date with Joey Hopps. Hopps caught her and dragged her to the local jailhouse. They searched her to see if she'd stolen anything else. All that was found on her was a large locket containing a lock of hair and a folded up birth certificate from a hospital in San Francisco. I chose not to press charges, and she was released into local foster care. I ran into her about a week later, I offered to buy her lunch and we got to talking. It turned out that her parents had been illegal immigrants from Brazil, instead of taking their daughter, who'd been born in America, back with them, they'd put her up for adoption. She'd been bouncing around in the foster care system ever since, never heard a word from her folks. She'd come by and hang out in the apartment a few times week with me and Zig-zag (who'd by then been staying with me for about six months). Then on her eighteenth birthday she showed up carting a duffle bag and a beat-up guitar case.

So that's how I got my two roommates and best friends. It's crowded and there isn't a day that goes by that we don't squabble over something, but it's so much better than the solitude I faced after Dad's death.

"So how'd the bust go? Was Dobic any help?" Lola asked. She and Ziggy were also the only two people who knew of my little ability.

"It went ok." I said. "Oh, that reminds me, you guys are on your own for dinner tonight, seeing as I might drop like a rock at any minute."

Lola looked startled. "Why?"

Ziggy came bursting out of the bathroom, "Its food poisoning, isn't it? That stuff can take several days to show signs. I bet it was that new Asian fusion place we ate at the other night. I got some serious indigestion after we ate there."

Lola sighed, "Ziggy you always get indigestion after you eat any Asian food. Which makes us seriously question your mental stability as to why you would even eat it in the first place."

"So sue me, I really like eggrolls." Zig-zag retorted.

"It's not food poisoning." I said loudly, before the two of them could start anything. "A super strong spirit tried to contact me during the bust. It couldn't get the message through so I figured it'll try again sometime soon."

The two of them stared at me in stunned silence. With a sigh, I explained what'd happened.

"So you're waiting for a call back from some freaky powerful spirit?" Ziggy asked. "What if it's something really bad, like a demon or really pissed off god?" We were sitting around the table, munching on a bowl of chips.

I shook my head, "I doubt it's anything like that. I just need to know that you guys will keep me from bashing my head in when it comes again."

"Of course," Lola said, "We got your back. No matter what freaky shit you face." Ziggy nodded.

"Thanks guys." I sighed, standing up. "Now I'm gonna go lay down before it comes ba-"

I stumbled and froze as an electric tingle made its way up my back.

"Speak of the Devil." I gasped.

"You might actually be." Ziggy said. Lola smacked him then they both grabbed for me as I collapsed. Whether they caught me I couldn't say because I was filled with this rising sensation like going up the in an elevator on the Space Needle.

_I was surrounded by stars, a thousand twinkling lights in the deep dark. It was beautiful in an eerie way. I was sort of floating, my body light. Then it hit me: I wasn't in my body; my soul had traveled to who knows where. And I had no idea as to how I'd get back. _

_ "Hello?" I called out, trying to calm my growing panic. My father had never warned me of this kind of thing. _

_ "Human…" the voice whispered. _

_ I whirled around trying to find the source, but could see no one. It was as if the voice was emanating from the stars themselves. _

_ "Uh, hi. Sorry about before, you kind of caught me at a bad time." I said. _

_ "Human, we need your help." the voice murmured. _

_ That was kind of obvious. "Ok." _

_ "Your world is in grave danger." _

_ Great, was this going to be one of those doomsday things? "I'm not sure what you mean. Look, I don't mean to be rude, but could I see you? I'd really like to know who I'm talking to." _

_ The voice rumbled, "That would be unwise, your kind frighten easily." _

_ "Come on, I see dead people, I don't frighten easily." Ok, that was a bit of a fib; this voice was frightening me quite a bit. _

_ The voice sighed. "Very well." _

_ The stars then began to mass together. A form began to take shape, a _large_ form. Before I knew it a giant stood in front of me. A giant that appeared to be made of…metal? Ok, I may be sketchy on my mythology but I knew of no god, monster, or hero that looked like what stood before me. This thing looked alien, and it downright scared the crap out of me._

_ Swallowing my fear I asked,"Who are you?" _

_ "I am Prima," the giant replied. "The first of the thirteen Primes created by Primus. We were created to defeat Unicron the Chaos Bringer, and to help forge the race known as the Cybertronians." _

_ "So you're an alien?" As if that fact weren't blatantly obvious._

_ "I am not from your world, so yes, I suppose that term would best fit what I am. Though I believe the proper name for my kind is autonomous robotic organisms" _

_ Boy was that a mouthful. _

_ "And what exactly do you need my help for?" I asked, trying to wrap my mind around the situation._

_"Your world is in danger from itself. The core of your planet is actually the body of Unicron." _

_ "Our planet is actually made from a dead alien robot?" What about all the legends I'd heard about the great Mother Earth spirit. _

_ "You are correct in that your planet is built around Unicron, however he is not dead. Do you remember the strange weather occurrences that happened all over your planet?" _

_ I nodded. "Yeah, it happened a few weeks ago, scared the crap out of everyone." In Seattle we had several large earthquakes that still had the city on edge. _

_ "That was Unicron beginning to arise." _

_ "Then why did it stop? Did he fall back asleep or something?" _

_ "In a way…" Prima said, his expression, at least what I could tell from it, looked sad. "Optimus, Prime, a descendant of sorts, halted Unicron's awakening using the Matrix of Leadership, a device that holds the collective power of we ancients." _

_ "So what's the dilemma?" _

_ "The Matrix is only holding Unicron back, not destroying him. And its power is slowly fading. And when it fails completely…" _

_ "Hello doomsday for us humans." I finished. _

_ Prima nodded. _

_ "So can't this Optimus guy do something about it? Why not talk to him? I'm sure he'd be a lot more help than I would. And hey, if there are others like you on our planet, how come we've never seen them? A giant robot is hard to miss." _

_ "Our kind have the ability to take the form of your earth vehicles." _

_ Great, that wasn't going to make me paranoid the next time I got in a car._

_ "Optimus lost his memories when he released the Matrix. He is currently with the Decepticons, Cybertronians who wish to conquer your planet, believing that he is Orion Pax. The identity he had before he became a Prime. And there is no way for us to contact the others of our race taking refuge on your planet. That is where your ability comes in." _

_ "Ok, I get that, but why me? I know there are not a lot of others out there that share my ability but they're still there. Why chose me?" _

_ "Partly because your power is unique, I can sense great strength in you that you have yet to realize. The other part is that you already have connections to our race through your family." _

_ "What do you mean by that?" I asked wearily. _

_ "Your brother Jack is allied with the Autobots, those who defend your planet and people." _

_ "WHAT? My baby brother is in the middle of an alien war?" I may not have seen Jack in fifteen years, but you can't just take news like that easily. I mean the reason Dad left, and took me with him, was to keep little Jackie and Mom out of danger, and now I hear that Jack is in the middle of a freaking war? I think bad luck must be genetic with my family. _

_ "Focus." Prima rumbled. _

_ "Right, sorry, you were saying?" _

_ "You must find Orion; he is the only one who can control the Matrix." _

_ "Can't I just go to the Autobots and explain the situation?" _

_ Prima shook his head. "No, this task requires skill only you possess. You must find Orion, lead him away, and keep him away, from Megatron, leader of the Decepticons." _

_ "And then what?" _

_ "You must expel Unicron from this planet." _

_ "Ok, so let me get this straight; you want me to find this amnesiac Orion a.k.a. Optimus Prime?" _

_ "Yes." _

_ "And you want me to rescue him from this evil robot guy." _

_ "Yes." _

_ "Without any help from these Autobot guys." _

_ "Yes." _

_ "And then you want me to somehow get rid of this Unicron guy before this Matrix thingy fails." _

_ "Yes." _

_ "And this Unicron is at the center of the earth." _

_ "Yes."_

_ "Can I ask a question?" _

_ "Yes." _

_ "ARE YOU FREAKING INSANE? How the heck am I supposed to do this?" it probably wasn't a good idea to be calling an ancient alien warrior spirit insane, but I was feeling a wee bit overwhelmed at the moment. "You haven't even told me where this Orion guy is, much less how I'm supposed to save him. And I have no clue how I'm supposed to get to the center of the earth without getting obliterated. And I have no idea how to defeat this Unicron guy. And I don't know what the heck you're talking about when you say that I have special powers. I mean come on, you're only giving me half the story, that's not nearly enough to go on." _

_ "Valerie Darby, fate rarely calls upon us at a moment of our choosing." _

_ What movie did he get that cheesy line from? "Yeah, well fate can take a message right now, 'cause I don't really want to answer." _

_ "Are you going to let your planet and all you care about perish?" Prima asked. _

_ "No," I sighed. "But just let me be in denial for a little bit. Saving the world isn't something you spring up on someone out of the blue. Might go to their head." _

_ Prima chuckled; at least I think he did. He made deep huh-huh-huh sound that I took for laughter. _

_ "You most certainly have _ʻSpiritus Potens,ʼ_ Spirit Strength. You will need it on your journey." He bent over me. "Our time is short, but before you go there is something I must give you." _

_ "Is it an awesome robo-suit of armor?" _

_ Prima chuckled again. "No, it is this." He touched his finger to my forehead. I gasped as heat flooded through me. "You were born to see the spirits of the human world, now I give you the gift to call upon those who have passed into the well of sparks. Seek their aid and advice along the way. Good luck, and may Primus be with you, Valiant." _

_ I gave a start when he said the nickname my father used for me. I was about to ask him where I should begin when I felt like I was plummeting downward. Lights flashed before me then I felt myself slam into something. Then all was quiet. _

I groaned and rolled over, only to fall and hit the floor with a thunk. Ow, I looked around and saw that I was in my living room, with a blanket wrapped around me; I'd apparently fallen off the couch. Ziggy was sitting on a patched up Lazy-boy recliner, heading sinking lower and lower as he snored away. I threw a pillow at him.

He yelped and jumped up. "I didn't fall asleep Lola, I swear!" He looked down and saw me. "You're alive!"

"Duh. Where's Lola?"

"Pacing the hallway outside, debating whether or not to call the paramedics. You've been out for hours."

Hours? It hadn't seemed that long. "Well go get her before she calls the National Guard. I've got something very important to tell you guys. Although I doubt if you'll believe."

"Hah!" Ziggy said as he walked out. "After all this time with you as a roommate, there isn't anything that we couldn't believe."

Boy, was he going to eat his words.

**Please review? Pretty Please?**


	3. Cliffjumper and mental health

**AN: I should probably be working on my essay on _Hamlet_ but I really wanted to post this. Things are starting to pick up speed now. Hope you like. **

**I don't own Transformers. I don't even have a transformers action figure :'(**

"Holy. Crap."

Those were the only two words that came out of Lola and Ziggy. After hearing about my little trip to the stars, both sat staring at me, mouths agape but expressions completely different. Lola looked shocked, concerned, and a little scared. Zig-zag looked as if his birthday, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and Halloween all decided to show up on the same day.

"So, yeah, that's about it. I've been recruited by an ancient alien robot warrior to help save the planet from another alien robot." I said, scratching the back of my head and feeling rather sheepish and idiotic and tired.

"We are so screwed." Lola croaked.

"We are so lucky!" Ziggy exclaimed, jumping out of his seat. "Just think about it; we're not alone in the universe, there _is_ intelligent life out there. And they must be packing some seriously badass technology." He was jumping in place like a kid getting ready for an Easter egg hunt.

Lola turned her stare of disbelief on Ziggy. "You really need to get your priorities straightened out."

"What do you mean?" Zig-zag asked.

"What do I mean?" Lola exploded. "We just found out that our planet is actually a giant evil alien robot. And Val has to somehow stop it from destroying all of us, but she doesn't have a clue how because that Prima guy didn't give her a lot to go on. So now she's expected to do a Mary-Sue and somehow pull a battle plan out of her ass. And she has to go save this Orion guy, but we have no idea where he is, because once again Prima decided to be a little hazy on the details. And apparently she's supposed to use her powers, but she has never had full training as a _Spiritus Potens_ and barely knows how to summon a ghost, much less an _alien_ ghost. She's outnumbered, and outgunned. And you're excited because you hope the aliens will upgrade your Mac." She stopped to catch her breath, shaking her head in disgust.

"Thanks for the vote of confidence Lola." I grumbled.

"Is it wrong for me to see a silver lining in this?" Zig-zag retorted.

"Enough!" I said before the two of them could start anything. "Listen, at the moment I haven't got a clue what I'm going to do. So for now let's just hit the sack, and we'll try and figure things out in the morning." I knew procrastination wouldn't solve anything, but I really had all I could take for one day.

With a grumbling sigh Ziggy slunk into his room while Lola and I trudged into ours. Lola flopped down onto her bed and stuffed her head under her pillow. I sat on my own bed and stared at the alarm clock on the bedside table between mine and Lola's side of the room. The little neon green numbers proclaimed it to be 2:04 a.m. I kicked off my shoes and slid under the blankets. The clock read 2:05 a.m.

I glared at the dark ceiling, willing sleep to come. Sleep didn't seem to want to follow orders, so I was left tossing and turning for hours, Prima's words bouncing around in my head like a bunch of ping-pong balls. In a desperate attempt to get some rest, I reached under my bed to grab the one thing that always helped me fall asleep, and made me cry a little.

In my hand was a little picture creased and folded so many times that it was starting to deteriorate the image. In the picture was my family; my Mother June holding my two-month old brother Jack, my Father was standing just behind her with his hands on her shoulders, I was sitting at my Mother's side wearing a flowery dress and sporting a ridiculous pig-tail hairdo and the same lopsided grin as my Father. All of us were beaming joyfully at the camera as if we didn't have a care in the world.

This photo was taken a little less than a year before my seventh birthday, before I was marked as a _Spiritus Potens_, before my Father, remembering his old family legends, took me away from Mom and Jack in order to protect them. From evil spirits, from those who wished to destroy people like me, and even my own kind, that's why Dad took me away. A familiar pain sprang up in my chest as tears trickled down from my eyes. It seemed ridiculous to feel such an attachment to people I could barely remember, but I didn't care.

I stared at the picture for what seemed like hours, but still sleep didn't come. Glancing up at the clock, which read 5:36 a.m., I realized that catching a few Z's was going to be impossible. I looked out the window next to my bed and watched the traffic slowly come to life. My legs twitched restlessly. I glanced over at Lola. She was snoring lightly, her long dark brown hair splayed across her face.

Crawling quietly over to the window, I opened it and stepped out onto the fire escape just outside. The metal was cool against my bare feet. From my floor I climbed along the escape to the roof of the apartment complex. Sitting near the edge of the roof were two old wooden rocking chairs. I wasn't sure who put them there, or how they survived the rain but these two little chairs made the rooftop into a sanctuary of sorts, a place of calmness high above the bustling world. I sat down and looked up at the sky, the clouds overhead were thin; the sun might decide to make an appearance today.

I closed my eyes and began to rock back and forth. As I rocked I mulled over this dilemma of the end of the world.

Forward. I needed to stop Unicron.

Back. But I didn't have a clue where to start.

Forward. That Orion/Optimus guy managed to stop him.

Back. Yeah but he lost his memories.

Forward. Maybe if I could find him, I could somehow help him regain his memories.

Back. But I didn't know where he was on this floating mud ball.

Forward. Prima said I should use the help of the Cybertronian spirits.

Back. But I didn't even know how to summon a human spirit, much less one of them.

Forward. Well I'd never know unless I tried.

I stopped rocking and opened my eyes. I'd never know unless I tried.

Well, why the hell not? Let's try summoning up a spirit.

I closed my eyes again and let my mind go blank. I mentally called out "Hey, any alien ghosts out there?" I waited.

Nope. I got nothing.

I sighed. Alright, let's try some imagery. What did Prima call the place of their kind's souls? Right, the "Well of Sparks."

I pictured a well in my mind, a _big _well.

My muscles began to loosen.

I pictured myself walking up to the well and looking down.

_There were thousands of lights; red and blue glowing orbs. All them, just waiting at the bottom. Ok, I found the spirits, now how do I get them out? _

Stupid,_ I told myself._ How do you get water out of a well? You use a bucket.

_ As soon as thought it, a bucket and rope appeared at my side. I lowered it down slowly. When the bucket reached the bottom the orbs converged on it, trying to climb in it, nearly yanking rope out of my hands. _

_ "Stop." I said. "I don't need all of you." What were the good robots again? Decepticons? No. Autobots, Autobots were good, Decepticons were bad. _

_ "I need an Autobot." I called down. The red orbs scattered as if they'd been blown away. _

_ Well that eliminated half of them, but there were still too many. _

_ "I need someone who knew Orion—err I mean Optimus Prime." The blue orbs scattered, leaving only about a hundred or so. _

_ Ok, I still needed to narrow the field. _

_ "I need someone who died on this planet." _

_Only one orb remained after that. It floated gently into the bucket. I tugged the bucket up and set it on the side of the well. Cautiously I reached into the bucket and picked up the orb. It was warm and sent static tingles through my hand. _

_I smiled awkwardly at it. "Hi." _

The image dissolved. I opened my eyes and looked down at my hands.

No orb.

Well crap that was a complete waste of time.

I sighed and slumped into the rocking chair feeling like a complete failure.

"Nice view you got up here." said a voice behind me.

I jumped and spun around. A gasp escaped me as I saw who'd spoken.

In front of me stood a large orange-red robot, he wasn't nearly as large as Prima, but he was still huge compared to me. He had blue eyes, and what looked like bull horns on his head.

"So you gonna tell me what I'm doing here or do I have to play Twenty Questions?" his tone was easy going if not a little cocky.

"Uh," was all I could say. Part of me was thrilled that I managed to summon a spirit, the other was just plain stunned at the sight of this guy.

"Are you humans usually this talkative?" he asked sarcastically.

"You don't look like that orb thingy I pulled from the well."

He looked confused. "Orb? Well?" Then his eyes widened in realization. "Oh that's right, I'm dead."

"I'm sorry."

"Why? You weren't the one who killed me."

"No, I meant—oh never mind. Listen, I need your help."

The robot raised an eyebrow, or the robotic equivalent of an eyebrow. "What? No introductions?"

I sighed, "Valerie Darby."

"Cliffjumper."

"What kind of name is Cliffjumper?"

"What kind of name is Valerie Darby?"

I bit back a retort. It was probably best not to get into petty arguments with a ghost. After all, he might be the only one who could help me at the moment.

"Ok, introductions over. Cliffjumper, I need your help. Your leader Optimus Prime has lost the Matrix of leadership and his memories." I explained "I need to find him but I have no idea where to start."

"Boss-bot's in trouble?" Cliffjumper asked his voice full of concern. "What about Arcee and the others?"

I shook my head. "I don't know anything about them, but I'm sure their ok." I wasn't sure, but a little white lie never hurt.

"So what do you need me for?"

"Uh, I guess I was hoping you'd sort of track him down? Maybe give me his location?" I should've thought this through more.

"Do you have any information at all, as to where he might be?" Cliffjumper asked all business now.

I thought for a moment. "I think he's with a guy called Megatrip?"

Cliffjumper snorted. "You mean Megatron?"

"Yeah, that's the name."

Cliffjumper began to pace. "If Megatron has Optimus, he certainly won't be letting Boss-bot wander around. So he must be on the _Nemesis_."

"The _Nemesis_?"

"It's a Decepticon warship." Cliffjumper explained. "If he's on the _Nemesis_ then he'd be easy for me to track down."

"Why?"

"Because I was killed on the _Nemesis_." Cliffjumper stated calmly as if he were simply saying that dogs bark and cats meow.

"You'd feel a pull towards it." I said remembering what my father had told me about murdered spirits: they were drawn to the place where their life was taken from them.

Cliffjumper nodded. "Alright, I'll go find the _Nemesis_ for you. But how are you planning on getting on board? Or rescuing Optimus?"

I shrugged, "No idea. I'm kind of making this up as I go along."

"An improviser, I like your style." He began to fade away. "Time to track me down a warship."

"Wait," I cried before he could disappear fully. "Will you be alright? I know going back to the scene where you were killed can cause trauma—"

Cliffjumper laughed, "Are you kidding me? I'm looking forward to this. They messed with Cliffjumper, now they're gonna get the horns." And with that he faded away.

Ok then. I guess now it was time for me to prep.

I climbed down the fire escape and slithered back through the window. As soon as I got into my room I grabbed an old duffel bag from the closet and started throwing clothes in it. Lola groaned and rolled over, eyes squinting at the light?

"What time's it?" she yawned.

"Half past six"

"What are you doing?"

"Packing."

Lola bolted upright. "You're what?"

"Packing." I said throwing an old Seahawks sweatshirt into the bag. "I managed to get in contact with a Cybertronian spirit. He's going to look for Optimus. In the mean time I need to get ready to leave."

Lola stared at me. "You're seriously going to go through with this?"

I shrugged. "If Prima is right, we all probably only have a few weeks left to live. Might as well go out fighting."

"In that case, I'm coming with you." She hopped off her bed and went to grab her own bag.

"No. I don't want to put you in danger."

Lola rolled her eyes. "Oh please don't tell me you're starting to develop some sort of hero complex. We're friends, family. When I said I had your back I meant it. Besides, like you said, we only have a few weeks, and I'm not going to be spending them sitting in this apartment by myself because you know there's no way that Zig-zag would let you meet alien robots without him."

I grimaced, "Yeah, I should probably go tell Ziggy so he has time to prepare."

"Don't" Ziggy said opening the door. "I'm already packed."

Lola smirked. "Told you."

"Alright, you two gather up some essentials. I'll go down to the station and let them know I'm taking a leave of absence."

"Uh, Val?" Ziggy asked.

"Yeah?"

"Before you go, you may want to clean yourself up."

I looked down and realized I was still wearing the same clothes from the police raid. I reached up to feel my hair; it was a rat's nest.

Ok, I'd go down to the station _after_ I grabbed a quick shower.

"No Darby."

"Oh, please Chief. I only need a week or two leave of absence. Don't I have a ton a vacation days saved up." I was standing inside Chief Jameson's office. I'd been pleading for the past five minutes, but that old prune still wouldn't budge.

"I said no. You're needed here to help wrap up the Domonero case, and you've got several other investigations to get started on." Jameson grouched.

"I'm sure you can take a nice long vacation next month." Joey Hopps said leaning against the wall next to the Chief.

It was clear they weren't going to give me what I wanted without a fight. So it was time to pull out my secret weapon. I called on all those summers at acting camp. Hanging my head, I started to snivel.

"You ok Darby?" Hopps asked.

"No. No. No. NO! I'm not ok!" I exclaimed. "I've been working my butt off for this department since I turned eighteen and I had to juggle school and a part time job. I've worked through the weekend and done all-nighters. I've been hit on by some of the sleaziest guys while working undercover. I've been shot at. I've been spit on. I've pulled my weight and others' around here. I've faced some seriously dangerous situations weaponless because you guys still won't give me a gun. I love this job, but for God sakes, I'm not even twenty-three yet. I need some me time. Is that too much to ask? Is it? IS IT?"

And with that I burst into tears. It helped that I was seriously tired from lack of sleep.

Joey tried to put his hand on my shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" I gasped. "You don't even know what crap I've gone through. YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW!"

That shriek caught the attention of everyone outside the office. I sobbed even louder. I peeked through my fingers and saw both men looking dumbfounded and terrified. I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing.

"Alright, Darby," Jameson said shakily. "You get two weeks. I'm marking it for mental health."

"Thank you sir." I sniveled wiping my nose on my sleeve for effect.

"But I expect you to be back in proper attitude and state of mind when you get back. Understand?" He said.

"Yes sir."

And with that I left his office, ignoring the stares and holding my sides to keep from bursting into triumphant laughter. If there was one thing all men feared it was this: a crazy, over-emotional woman.

Now to finish packing.

**Review? Pwetty Pwease?**


	4. Divine Tattoos

**A/N:** **Sorry, I was going to post sooner but last minute school work got in the way *Cough* _H__amlet_ essay*Cough* But here it is. Hope you like. **

**I don't own transformers, or any of the gods/mythological creatures mentioned.**

God did I hate waiting. Whether it was for a movie I wanted to see, a criminal I was watching, a traffic jam I needed to get through, or the ghost of an alien robot that was supposed to give me directions. I really, _really _hated waiting. Patience was no virtue of mine.

It had been a day since Cliffjumper left to track down the _Nemesis_. We'd packed everything we'd thought we'd need into my gray 1970 Plymouth hemi Barracuda (that we'd named Barri for lack of creativity). I gave my landlord the month's rent in advance. We cleaned out the fridge of anything perishable. Heck, we even vacuumed and dusted the whole apartment. But still no Cliffjumper.

Good news was that I was able to catch a few good hours of snooze time.

Bad news was I was dying a slow and painfully death of boredom and gnawing anticipation.

Of course, if it was that bad for me, it was ten times worse for Zig-zag and Lola. At least I would know when Cliffjumper arrived. They had to rely on me to get the message across. The two followed me around constantly. If I made a sudden movement they'd jump up and start bombarding me with questions. Needless to say, tensions were starting to run high between the three of us.

We were currently slouched around the kitchen table, aimlessly munching on a bag of chips.

"When is he going to get here already?" Ziggy whined for the thirty-seventh time. I knew it was the thirty-seventh because I'd been keeping count.

"When you stop complaining like a four year-old." I snapped.

"Well it's not like I can _see_ him or maybe _summon_ him." Ziggy bit back.

"I told you," I sighed. "If I summon him while he's searching then there wouldn't be any point in summoning him at all because he still wouldn't know where Orion was. Plus, it would probably piss him off."

"Cool it, both of you." Lola said. "Look, we should've known it was going to take some time to hear back from Cliffjumper. This isn't like the movies where its action, action, action. There's going to be some wait time in between and we just need to deal with it."

Her words made sense, but that didn't mean I had to like them. I groaned and banged my head on the table. "I hate waiting!"

"Me too." It was Cliffjumper.

"Oh thank God, or Primus, or whoever!" I said as I turned to face him. I froze for a moment, staring at him. Then I started to crackup. Cliffjumper's image was cut in half; his legs and lower abdomen stood in front of me, everything above that disappeared through the ceiling into the apartment above.

"It's not funny," Cliffjumper grumped as he sunk into a crouch so I could see his face. "Your housing units are way too small."

I still laughed, partly because of the image, and partly from the sheer relief of seeing him. Hopefully he had some good news to go on.

"I'm guessing from the sudden change in attitude that our Spooky Scout has returned?" Lola asked.

"It's about time." Ziggy harrumphed. "What the hell took him so long? Can't he, like, apparate to and from the ship or something?"

I rolled my eyes. "Zig-zag, he's a spirit, not Harry Potter."

"And I'll have you know it was a pain in the aft trying to locate exactly where over your planet the _Nemesis_ was lurking." Cliffjumper retorted.

He waited for Ziggy's response, but Ziggy just kept staring in Cliffjumper's general direction, waiting for me to relay the message.

"He can't see me can he?" Cliffjumper asked.

I shook my head. "Neither of them can."

"Or hear me, I reckon."

"Nope."

"Scrap."

"So uh, how did the searching go?" I asked.

"I found the ship easy enough."

"Well that's good."

"What's good?" Lola asked.

"He said it was easy for him to find the ship." I said.

"Then why did it take him so long to get back?" Ziggy demanded.

"Sorry," Cliffjumper said sarcastically. "But I figured you'd want to know when and where the ship was going to be close enough to the _ground _for you to actually sneak aboard. Unless you have a space craft of your own to get to your planet's upper atmosphere."

I grimaced. "Didn't think about that." Yeah, even if we knew where the ship was, it wouldn't help if it was several miles above the earth. And I didn't think my powers included flight.

"I figured. But you happen to be in luck. While I was snooping about the _Nemesis_ I learned that they found another energon deposit. It's a big one, so they can't use the ground bridge; the ship's going to be grounded for at least a day or two while they mine."

"Where is it?"

"I don't know geographically where it is, but I caught a glimpse of the coordinates."

I turned to Ziggy. "Zig-zag can you look up these coordinates?"

Ziggy took out his laptop and booted it up.

I nodded to Cliffjumper.

"It's in the general area of 42.861873,"

"42.861873," I repeated.

"And -110.758667." Cliffjumper stated.

"-110.758667."

We held our breath as Ziggy typed in the numbers. Well, Lola and I did, I don't think Cliffjumper needed to breath.

"Alright," Ziggy squinted at the screen. "That puts us in Bridger National Forest, Wyoming. It's right near the Idaho-Wyoming border in the Rocky Mountains."

"When are they getting there?" I asked.

"The course the 'Cons are on right now should get them there in about a day and a half." Cliffjumper said.

It was currently 11:13 a.m. on a Friday. The Decepticons would be arriving sometime late Sunday afternoon.

"Ziggy what's the fastest way from here to Wyoming?"

"Way ahead of you, Val." Ziggy said typing away.

"Well if you don't need me for anything else, I think I'll go back to haunting the _Nemesis _for awhile; figure out some of its weak points that you could sneak in through. I'll meet you at the landing site." Cliffjumper started to fade.

"Thank you." I said.

"Don't mention it." And he was gone again.

We sat in silence for a minute.

I looked at Lola and Zig-Zag. "Alright, if either of you want to back out, this is your last chance, unless you want to hitchhike back from Wyoming."

Lola calmly stood, pushed in her chair, grabbed her bag, and walked out the apartment door, smacking me on the back of the head along the way. Ziggy shut off his computer, slid it back in its bag, and followed Lola, shutting the door behind him. I smiled, grabbing my own bag and running after them.

Let's do this!

* * *

><p>"I. Friggin'. Hate. Traffic!" I almost screamed as I stared out at the miles of gridlock in front of me. There was nothing but brake lights. I felt like banging my head against the steering wheel.<p>

We had been making great time, until we got just outside of Yakima. Then all travel came to a standstill.

"I told you we should've taken I-90 East instead of I-84 East to US 30." Zig-zag grumbled from the backseat.

"You said I-84 had the shortest travel time." Lola snapped.

"Yeah, but if we would've taken I-90 we could've avoided this jam. The directions said that this was a high traffic area." Ziggy retorted sinking lower into the seat.

"You know what? You can take those directions and shove them up your skinny albino ass!"

"Enough!" I snarled. Why did it sometimes feel like I was the babysitter of two terrible toddlers?

Silence lasted for about ten minutes.

Lola squirmed in her seat. "Are we close to a rest stop? I need to pee."

"And I'm hungry." Ziggy chimed in.

I groaned and banged my head against the wheel.

Toddlers!

* * *

><p>I was currently sitting out in front of our motel room, clutching a cup of coffee like it was a life preserver.<p>

After we'd managed to escape the traffic nightmare, we drove almost nonstop to Wyoming. We'd arrived at this tiny motel a little after midnight Saturday. I woke up around seven, hence the jumbo cappuccino. Ziggy and Lola were still out like a light. So far the game plan was to summon Cliffjumper, and scout the area. Hopefully we'd be able to figure where the Decepticons would be landing and use the terrain to our advantage.

As I sat outside watching the sun rise, I had to admit this place had a spectacular view. There were mountains every which way I looked. The sky overhead was a bright blue, but the early morning fog had yet to be completely dissolved by the sun; it laced the tops of the pines like a spider's web.

I sighed and lifted the coffee cup to my lips.

"Sure is peaceful out here."

"Ack!" I jumped up, spilling hot coffee all over me.

I turned to glare at a grinning Cliffjumper. "That's it! I'm getting some sort of spirit alarm system. You just enjoy disappearing and reappearing at a moment's notice way too much."

"It's one of the few pleasures in death."

I sighed. "So what do you have to report? Honestly, I wasn't planning on summoning you until later."

"I just thought you'd like to know that I found the energon source. And I've come up with a plan for getting you guys on the _Nemesis_."

"Really? Wow, talk about making me feel obsolete."

Cliffjumper grinned. "I didn't expect you to have any sort of battle plan yet."

"Hey," I huffed indignantly. "I have a plan."

"Alright let's hear it."

Minutes passed as I thought. Cliffjumper's grin got wider and wider. "It's uh…um…well…aw shut up!"

"Didn't say anything."

"Ok fine, I don't have a plan. If you haven't noticed, I'm not the best at making them. Right now I'm running on your help and dumb luck. And I know sooner or later I'm going run out of one or both." I hung my head.

"Ok, don't have an emotional breakdown on me here. I'm a soldier not a therapist."

I rubbed my hands over my face. "Sorry, sorry. It's just a little overwhelming." I took in a deep breath. "Alright, breakdown over, what's the plan?"

"Sure you don't want to come up with a strategy of your own?" Cliffjumper asked with false sweetness.

"Nope, just going to take what you got and see where it goes from there."

"I'm not sure if you'll like my idea."

"Why?" I asked.

"Well there are two particular variables to it."

"Which are?"

"The first depends on how fast your techie friend can build a remote control system."

I snorted. "For Ziggy it'll only be an hour or so. What's the second variable?"

Cliffjumper glanced at where Barri the Barracuda was parked. I got a sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach.

"How fond are you of your car?" he asked.

"Uh-oh."

* * *

><p>"Need a shower, need a shower, need a shower, need a shower." Ziggy ran past me into the bathroom. Zig-zag was a tech guru, an avid outdoorsman he was not. And the over twelve hours we spent in the park were killer for him. It didn't help that we had to <em>walk<em> back to the motel.

We were all feeling a bit battered. There were leaves in our hair; scratches covered our hands, arms, and legs; calluses were beginning to form on our hands and feet. But we felt triumphant, sort of. We'd managed to follow Cliffjumper's plan to the letter. Everything was prepped and ready. We just hoped that no park ranger or camper would stumble upon it.

After we'd gotten cleaned up and grabbed a bite to eat there was nothing left to do but wait until morning. Once again the restless anticipation made us all edgy. There was no way we'd be catching any sleep tonight, even though sleep was what we needed the most.

Zig-zag flipped aimlessly through the TV channels, never settling on one show for more than a few minutes. Lola kept packing, unpacking, and then repacking her bag. Each time she zipped it shut she'd mutter to herself, shake her head, unzip the bag, and take everything out and start again. I was leaning up against the motel room's window, forehead against the cool glass. I watched as each breath I exhaled fogged up the window pane a little more. Oh what fun.

Something white flashed through the trees just beyond the motel.

I rubbed the mist off the window and squinted into the night.

Nothing.

No, there was another flash of white streaking through the trees. It looked kind of like fur.

"I'm going outside for a bit." I said. I might as well have been talking to a wall, so lost in their own little worlds were Lola and Ziggy.

I walked into the parking lot and stared at the forest, my breath visible in the cool late April air.

Silence and darkness.

Then slowly from the forest, came a pristine white wolf. It walked just to the edge of the parking lot, coming to a stop where the grass met pavement. It was only a few yards from me.

Now most people would run screaming back into the hotel, lock the doors and windows, and call animal control.

I decided to have a staring contest with the wolf.

After a moment the wolf turned and started walking back to the forest. It paused, looked back at me, and huffed. As if to say: _"Are you coming or not? I haven't got all damn night you know."_

Well, why the hell not. I followed the wolf. Of course there was a small portion of my brain that still held some common sense, and it was screaming at me to turn around, go back into the motel, and lay down because I was clearly starting to lose it.

Good thing it was only a small part of my brain.

I walked behind the wolf as it made its way through the trees. The silence was only broken by the occasional owl hoot and the snap of a twig; I didn't really feel like trying to start up a conversation with a two-hundred pound carnivore with razor sharp teeth and claws. I guess I was just antisocial that way.

We came to a small clearing, a woman stood in its center. The wolf trotted over to her and laid down at her feet, tail wagging and ears perked like a puppy expecting a dog biscuit. I stopped just at the edge of the clear, squinting into the darkness to get a good look at the mystery wolf-woman.

"Come closer Valerie Darby. We have much to discuss and not enough time to discuss it." The woman raised her hand and beckoned.

Suddenly I jerked forward, like an invisible hook was around my waist, yanking me towards the center of the clearing. I skidded to a stop just a few feet in front of the woman. That's when I got a good look at this chick and realized she wasn't your average tree-hugger.

Everything about her was constantly shifting colors. Her skin went from snow white to dirt brown to storm-cloud gray and any color in between. Her hair shifted from green, to autumn-leaf orange, to tree-bark brown, to spring-bloom pink and back again to green. The dress she wore looked like it had been made from plant leaves and flowers, and it looked like it was actually _growing_. Definitely not the type of woman someone would find sipping a latte in Starbucks.

"It is wonderful to finally meet you in person Valerie. I only wish it were under better circumstances." her voice reminded me of waves crashing on a beach, wind whipping through tall grass, and rain pouring down from the heavens.

She had an aura of power around her that made me think that I wasn't dealing with just any spirit.

I was talking to a god.

She smiled. "Can you not guess who I am?"

"Maybe, but I wouldn't want to offend you and get turned into a ferret if I guessed wrong."

The woman laughed. "The ancient Greeks called me Gaea. Terra was my Roman name. The Egyptians knew me as Geb. I am known to many Native American tribes as Earth Mother. In modern times, I am now referred to as Mother Nature or Mother Earth."

Oh, crap was I in it now.

"And what exactly do you want with me?"

"I have come to give aid on your quest to defeat Unicron."

Jeez, did she have to say quest? It made it sound like I was supposed to be Arthur in search of the Grail.

I felt like Monty Python running around with two halves of a coconut.

"Hang on a second, I was told that the Earth is actually Unicron, so how do I know you're not some form of his consciousness trying to trick me."

"Do not relate me to the destroyer!" Gaea yelled, lightning and thunder now in her voice. "His body may be what makes up the core of this planet, but I am what gives it life! If it were not for me Unicron would have destroyed this planet in a matter of minutes when he first awoke!"

I'm ashamed to say I cowered a little. "Ok, ok sorry. Please don't smite me with lightning or turn me into a ferret."

She calmed down. "No, you are right to be on your guard. I just _hate_ being affiliated with that monster."

"Ok," I said wearily. "So why are you helping me?"

"Partly because your ancestors and I have history together and partly because I wish for the young Prime to regain his memories. I owe him a debt. After all, if he hadn't acted when he did and released the Matrix, all life on this planet would've been obliterated, myself included."

"And you need me to get rid of Unicron so you can have the planet to yourself." I pointed out.

"I was not going to phrase it like that, but yes that is another reason why I'm helping you." She said.

"Why can't you destroy him yourself?" I asked.

"I don't have enough power. And at the moment, I'm channeling most of that power into slowing Unicron down." She grimaced as she said this, clutching her stomach as if she'd been hit. "But even with combining my strength with that of the Matrix is not enough to halt him entirely."

"But if you can't stop him, and you're a _goddess_, how am I supposed to be able to?"

Gaea smiled at me. "You have far greater power than you can imagine. Fate drew your path eons ago."

"Gee, now I'm not feeling any pressure."

"Have faith in yourself. I have faith in you."

"But what exactly am I supposed to do to get rid of Unicron?"

"How does any _Spiritus Potens _get rid of an unwanted ghost?" she asked.

I thought back to what Dad had said about my kind. "Uh, Expulsion? At least I think that's what it's called. Some call it purging a spirit or exorcism."

"Hmm, your training has been vague at best, but you are correct. You will perform an Expulsion on Unicron."

"But I've never done an Expulsion!"

"Then it's time for a quick lesson" Gaea waved her hand and a big-ass scorpion appeared in front of me.

"What?"

I yelped and took off across the field with the scorpion in pursuit. Man that sucker could move! Several times I had to turn sharply to avoid its pincers and poisonous tail.

"Come now, it's only a spirit. You can banish it easily." Gaea called calmly.

"AHHH!" was my only reply.

Banish it? I was a little too busy running for my life!

The scorpion was gaining on me.

On second thought, maybe banishing was a good idea.

Alright, if I used mental imagery to summon a spirit, maybe I could use it to get rid of one.

I pictured the scorpion being shoved away.

I glanced behind me. Nope still there.

I pictured the scorpion falling off a cliff.

That didn't work either.

I pictured the scorpion getting catapulted into the air and then blown up by rockets.

Nada.

Now I was getting pissed. I imagined myself holding a metal baseball bat. I spun around and swung at that creepy-crawly. The imaginary bat made contact and the scorpion went flying through the air, dissolving into dust with a shriek.

I collapsed onto the ground, panting heavily.

"Well done." Gaea appeared at my side. "It took you a bit, but you managed well. And don't worry; you'll have more time to practice later."

I just stared at her, too out of breath to say something snarky.

"I don't have much time left. Stand up quickly, I have something to give to you."

I rose with a groan.

"What do you know about Contracts?" Gaea asked.

"It is an agreement between a _Spiritus Potens_ and a spirit that allows the _Spiritus Potens_ to use the spirits power in the physical world."

"Very good."

"But Dad said to never enter into a Contract because the spirit can sometimes overpower the user."

Gaea waved her hand. "That's only if the user does not have enough power to control the spirit. And believe me; you have more than enough power."

"So you want me to form a Contract with a spirit."

"No, I want you to form Contracts with several spirits."

"Several?"

Gaea nodded. "A few of whom are gods."

"Gods? Are you nuts? I'm not forming a Contract with a god." This was really starting to be just a little too much.

She ignored my protests. "For agility and fast reflexes, Bast I summon thee. Place your mark upon this girl."

My left leg burned like someone had pressed a hot iron to it. I lifted my pant leg and saw a cat tattooed just above my ankle.

"A trickster is always useful to have on your side. So, Anansi come to this girl's aid."

Now my right hip burned. I yanked up my shirt and saw the image of a spider perched in a web.

"For matters of healing, Asclepius ally yourself to this young one." She touched my left bicep; a staff with a single snake entwined to it seared itself into my skin.

Gaea circled around behind me and placed her hands between my shoulder blades.

"When you need to take to the air, use the power of the Valkyrie." Heat seared up and down my back. I collapsed onto the ground.

"No more." I gasped. The ground swayed beneath me. In the back of my mind I could feel the consciousness of several beings. It was terrifying to know I wasn't completely alone, even in my own head.

Gaea knelt beside me. "I know it's overwhelming, but they will help you. Now you must know: you can access their powers at any time, or you can summon them to corporal form. But summoning them will drain your energy more quickly than if you use their abilities. So do so with caution. There is one more Contract I must give you. But you may only use it once, so choose wisely."

She pointed her finger at my collar bone, a mark burned there but I was too tired to look.

"What is it?" I asked.

"The dragon."

"Wonderful." When was it, exactly, that my life became a script for a sci-fi movie?

"Now I must return to my post. Good luck Val."

"Uh-huh." Bye-bye goddess. Leave ol' Valerie alone.

I closed my eyes and sunk sideways onto the grass. Yeah, this was a little too much.

When I opened them, it was morning. I was in my bed in the motel. Lola was sleeping in the bed next to mine and Ziggy was passed out on the pull out couch. The clock read 9:34 a.m.

Was it all a dream?

It would've been nice if it were.

Slowly I lifted up my shirt and looked down at my right hip.

There was the tattoo of the spider.

I groaned and buried my head in a pillow.

If I survived this, I was going to commit myself to the nearest insane asylum, complete with padded walls, strait jackets, and a cartful of meds.

Yeah, that seemed like a great idea.

But it would have to wait.

It was time for us to sneak onto an alien warship.

And hopefully not get blasted into a bazillion pieces in the process.

**To save you the trip to google. **

**Bast: Egyptian cat goddess, also goes by the name Baset **

**Anansi: Trickster from African folklore, most often seen as a spider **

**Asclepius: Greek god of medicine and healing, son of Apollo, his symbol is a staff intertwined with a single snake **

**Valkyrie: Winged warrior women of Norse mythology **

**Dragon: A totally awesome fire-breathing creature with wings, 'nuff said **

**I think that's everyone. Please review. **


	5. Explosive Distractions

**A/N: Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, and Happy Kwanza! Did I cover them all? I think I did. ****Here's chapter 5 hope you like. **

**I don't own transformers. But my parents did get me Ironhide and Bumblebee action figures for christmas (it took me an hour just to get them to turn from vehicle to bi-pedal mode, the directions were no help at all, and meanwhile my mom was laughing her butt off)**

"That is one seriously big-ass alien ship." Lola looked like her eyes were going to pop out of their sockets.

That was the understatement of the year. The _Nemesis_ was friggin' huge.

And, in my opinion at least, kinda weird looking for alien warship.

I mean, it was all pointy and jagged and the front of it looked like it had pincers. It's like someone decided to breed a pissed off metal porcupine with a cranky crustacean and then blow it up like a Macy's Thanksgiving Day balloon. But what did I know about alien taste for transportation? Heck, to them the ship might've been a five-star cruise liner. With some seriously heavy weaponry.

We were currently hiding up on a ridge that led down into a valley where the _Nemesis_ had landed. The ship had barely been there for fifteen minutes and already these black and dark purple robot guys (Cliffjumper called them mining drones) were digging up blue crystal-like rocks that they called energon.

"You remember the plan?" I asked.

The plan was to set off our little "distraction" and while the Decepticons were occupied, we'd jump onto the roof of the ship and crawl in through the ventilation shaft that Clifffjumper found. The fifteen feet between the ledge and the ship, and the fifty-foot drop beneath it, had me worried. But we'd bought rope and had formed a makeshift grappling hook from some spare parts of Barri. The plan was to latch on to the _Nemesis_, tie off the rope on our end and climb across the rope like ninja monkeys. I just hoped none of us had slippery fingers.

"I actually have a question." Ziggy said.

"What could he possibly have a question about? We've been over the plan several times." Cliffjumper said.

"What is it?" I asked.

"Well, I hate to ask the blatantly obvious, but their robots,"

"Yeah," I said.

"They don't need to breathe right?"

"Yeah, at least I think they don't need to." I looked at Cliffjumper for confirmation. He nodded. "Yeah, they don't need to breathe."

"Then why do they have a ventilation system?" Ziggy asked.

Huh, he had a good point.

"Hey Cliff, how come you guys have vents?" I asked.

"The buildup of energon emissions can cause complications for both the ship's systems and our own."

"Basically, what he's saying is they need to vent robo-farts." I explained to Zig-zag.

Lola, who'd been taking a swig out of her bottle, choked and snorted water out of her nose. "Robo-farts." She coughed. "Good one."

Cliffjumper huffed. "That's not what I said."

"Consider it payback for what you're about to make me do to my car." I retorted.

Speaking of Barri, it was time to put the first phase of the plan into action.

"You ready Ziggy?" I asked.

Ziggy nodded, hands poised over his laptop. "I'd like to take a moment, though, and say a few words for Barri."

I stared at him for a moment then shrugged. "Why not?"

The three of us bowed our heads.

"You can't be serious." Cliffjumper mumbled.

"Shh!" I chastised.

Ziggy took in a deep breath. "Dear Barri the Barracuda, though you've stalled out on us many times and gotten too many flat tires to count, you've been a wonderfully faithful car to us. You're sacrifice will not be forgotten. If there is a heaven for old muscle cars, you've certainly earned a place in it. Rust in peace old friend." If there was anything left of Barri to rust after this was over.

"Amen." Lola and I said.

"Alright, now let's blow Barri up!" Ziggy pushed a button on the keyboard.

The sound of an engine gunning to life echoed from the ridge across from us. The Decepticons looked up from their work.

"I can't watch." Lola muttered, hiding her face in her hands.

Ziggy pressed another button, and with a screech of tires, Barri drove over the edge of the ridge and into the valley. It reminded me a bit of the end of _Thelma and Louise_. With a crash, the car landed on top of several drones then—_boom!_ They all went up in fire and smoke.

Sorry Barri.

The Decepticons swarmed the wreckage and the ridge where Barri had been stationed.

"Now!" I said.

We raced to the edge. The space between us and the ship looked_ way _bigger from here.

I held out my hand. "Ziggy, the rope."

"Relax, Val, I got this." Ziggy whipped the rope above his head like a lasso.

He threw…and missed by a good five feet.

The hook dropped like a rock, dragging the rope with it before Zig-zag could get a good hold.

We watched it fall.

"Oops." Ziggy said.

"I'm going to kill you slowly and painfully, Zig-zag." Lola growled.

"Please tell me you have another one." Cliffjumper pleaded.

I shook my head.

My mind was blank.

How the hell were we supposed to get on the ship now? We couldn't jump. We had no more rope. We sure as hell couldn't pole-vault over the edge. We couldn't fly.

Fly.

_When you need to take to the air, use the power of the Valkyrie. _

No. There was no way I could actually_ fly._ My powers couldn't do that.

Could they?

A tingle started between my shoulder blades and raced down my spine. I rolled my shoulders. My whole body felt light.

Lola glanced at me as she took a breath from chewing Ziggy out. Her eyes grew as round as dinner plates.

"Wings." She whispered in awe.

Zig-zag followed her gaze, his jaw dropping.

"Holy shit, Val you have _wings_!"

I turned my head, and there poised half-open were two huge translucent wings.

I reached around to feel my back. My shirt, backpack, and jacket weren't ripped or anything, the wings were just_ there_. I touched one of the wings. It was weird: like they were physical and yet nothing more than wisps of air.

The tattoos actually worked.

I'd summoned the power of the Valkyrie.

And it hardly took any effort.

Heh, I was Val the Valkyrie.

"Nice upgrades." Cliffjumper said.

"Care to explain a few things?" Lola asked weakly. I still hadn't told them about my "gifts" from Gaea.

"Later," I was feeling incredibly exhilarated. "Right now we need to get aboard that ship."

I wrapped my arms around their waists. Startled, but still with some sense, they locked their arms around my shoulders. It kind of looked like an awkward three person three-legged race. Or was it a four-legged race?

I crouched slightly, the wings opened.

With a deep breath I jumped off the edge.

We dropped a few feet, Lola and Ziggy doing their best not to scream. Then with a down stroke we were soaring up, up, up. With another wing beat we were over the ship. We descended awkwardly to the roof, stumbling as we landed.

Zig-zag sank onto his hands and knees. "How the hell—what the hell was that?"

"I, uh, gained new super powers?" I shrugged. I glanced over my shoulder, the wings had disappeared.

"How'd you get them? Roll in toxic waste?" Ziggy snorted.

"Um, no. The Earth goddess gave them to me."

Lola shook her head. "The shit that you get into."

"Tell me about it, but right now we need to get into the ship. Let's move!"

We snuck over to the entrance to the vents. Covering them was a four-foot by four-foot metal grate. Ziggy dug into has bag and pulled out four quarter-looking metal objects. He placed one on each of the corners.

"This may take a minute." He pulled out his laptop and pressed a button. The disks began to spark and burn away at the metal.

"Zig-zag, do I want to know where or how you got those?" I asked.

"Not really, no."

I glanced around and saw Cliffjumper standing a few feet away. He looked incredibly uncomfortable and his image kept fading in and out.

I slinked over to him. "You ok?"

He shook his head. "I think my day pass is expiring."

"What?"

"My time is up; I'm getting pulled back into the Well of Sparks."

"But we need you!" I protested.

"Sorry, but I don't think I have a choice in the matter."

"Will I be able to summon you back again?" I asked.

Cliffjumper grimaced as he faded out a little bit. "Maybe, you're the expert, but not right away, I think. Can you do me a favor? If you see a sleek blue 'bot by the name of Arcee, tell her I said…" he paused thinking of something to say. "Tell her I said that scrap happens and she shouldn't beat herself up over it."

"I'll tell her." I promised. "Thank you, Cliffjumper. And I want you to know that—"

"Hey now," Cliffjumper interrupted. "No mushy goodbyes. I don't do that kinda stuff."

"Actually, I was going to say your voice kind of reminded me of the actor Dwayne Johnson's."

"Huh?" Cliffjumper had a quizzical look on his face as he faded away.

"Goodbye Cliffjumper." I whispered.

We were on our own now.

I snuck back to Lola and Ziggy. They'd popped the vent open and were gazing down into the darkness.

Lola let out a low whistle. "Long drop."

"Ladies first." Ziggy grumbled.

I rolled my eyes, and sat down on the edge, letting my feet dangle. "If you hear something go splat, it's probably me."

"Nice knowing you." Ziggy waved.

"See you at the bottom." Lola said.

I took a deep breath and slipped down the shaft.

Air whipped past me as I fell down, down, down. I couldn't see a thing, but after a few seconds I felt myself leveling off and slowing down. I skidded to a stop. I felt for the sides of the vents, they were like the entrance shaft: four-feet by four-feet. Not bad, at least we wouldn't have to crawl.

I was slowly getting to my feet, when someone came sliding down the shaft, knocking me over.

"Ooff! Oh, sorry Val." It was Zig-zag.

"Its, fine. You ok?"

I heard Ziggy patting himself down. "Nothing broken or twisted. My tech is in good shape. Other than a getting a mega-wedgie from going down that slide, I'm a-ok."

A few seconds later Lola came barreling into us. "You guys make excellent airbags."

"Thanks, I think." I untangled myself from the dog-pile. "Anyone got a light?"

"My turn to bring out the gizmos." Lola said. I heard her fumbling in her backpack, then there was a cracking sound and Lola was lit up by a dull green glow from a long thin glow-stick.

"Glow-sticks?" Ziggy sneered.

"_High powered_ glow sticks." Lola corrected. "Less bulky than a flashlight, easy to get rid of, and prettier."

"Can't argue with that logic." Zig-zag mumbled. Lola took an unlit glow-stick and cracked it on his head.

"Here you go."

"Gee thanks." Ziggy said rubbing his head.

Lola handed me one and we began to trek down the vents. After a few minutes the shaft branched off into three directions.

"We could each take one." Ziggy suggested.

"There is no way in hell I'm walking around an evil alien ship by myself." Lola said. "I've seen enough sci-fi horror movies to know that is not a smart idea."

"I second that." I said. I stared at the vents for a moment then pointed. "Eeny meeny miny mo." My finger landed on the shaft going left. "I do believe that's the way we'll go."

"What's with the rhyming?" Ziggy grumbled.

We trekked down the vent for a little while until we came to another grate. Ziggy popped it as easily as the first. But to me the slight crackling sound of the discs sounded like fireworks going off. Once the grate was off we peeked out.

"I think it's some sort of control room." Ziggy said with wide eyes.

That would've been my guess too, judging from all the screens and the panels covered with blinky lights.

And talk about putting things to scale; everything in the room was huge! It made me feel like a rodent, a two-legged rat slinking through the walls.

Around the room were metal pillars. After checking to see if the coast was clear, we scampered behind one of them. There was more than enough room to hide us.

"As glad, and terrified, as I am that we made it onto the ship," Lola said. "I'm not quite sure we're in the right place."

"You're right. We took the wrong vent. We need to get—"

The door to the control room opened. We hunkered down to the floor.

A greyish-blue robot walked in. It had a jagged design with thin legs and arms. But the creepy part was that it didn't have a face, just a black screen.

It gave me a serious case of the willies.

To make matters worse, it planted itself in front of a monitor not ten feet from the vent entrance.

Crap, that way was out.

I turned to Ziggy and Lola.

_Any ideas?_ I mouthed.

Zig-zig was staring at the monitors, a calculating look on his face. Lola pointed to the door.

I shook my head. It would take a miracle to get to the door unnoticed, and we didn't even know how to open it, much less open it without attracting the faceless Decepticon's attention.

Lola pointed at me and mouthed: _Super powers. _

Super powers? Sure, I could access the powers of the spirits attached to me, but I didn't know which ones to use.

Valkyrie?

No, the wings would attract too much attention.

The cat goddess, Bast?

Nope, couldn't think of any use of those powers at the moment, unless the Decepticons had allergies.

Then I thought about the spider tattoo on my right hip, Anansi. Scaling the walls like an eight-legger would be useful, but could I do it?

My hip tingled. I placed my hands flat on the pillar, and pulled myself up. My hands stuck to the wall, my feet did too. I crawled a few more feet upward to make sure.

Yep, I could scale walls like a spider.

Now all I needed was a red and blue suit and the ability to spin webs and I could sign a deal with Marvel.

I clambered back down. Ziggy was now digging through his backpack. Lola looked at me with a raised eyebrow that said: _You sure as hell better explain all this later._

I looked back at the door. Ok, so I could climb into a corner near the entrance and figure out how to open it from there. But there was a downside: I'd have to leave Lola and Ziggy behind with No-face for company.

I felt a tap on my shoulder. Ziggy was grinning at me; he jerked his head towards the monitors then winked and mouthed: _Staying here_.

Zig-zag was up to something. And from the maniacal glint in his eye, I was afraid to ask.

I looked at Lola. She nodded and mouthed: _We'll be fine_.

That wasn't very reassuring. But I didn't have much of a choice, unless we were going to wait for Mr. No-face to leave, but time was a luxury we couldn't afford at the moment.

Mentally hitting myself for not coming up with anything else, I nodded. I'd leave these two here while I searched for Orion.

From a holster on my hip, I pulled out a small pistol. The Seattle P.D. may not have given me a gun, but that didn't mean I didn't have one of my own. I handed the pistol and a pack of extra ammo to Lola. She stared at it for a moment then grimly took the gun. Though Lola had tried to hide it, I knew that she spent several hours a week down at the shooting range. I also knew that she had better aim than most of the officers on the force; including me. It was doubtful a small firearm like that could do much damage too any of these robots, but with an aim like Lola's she might be able to hit a sensitive spot.

I gave Lola a quick hug and glanced back at Ziggy: he was fiddling around with not one, but _two_ laptops. Where he kept it all was a mystery to me.

With a deep breath, I began to climb the wall. I tried to go quickly and quietly. I thought spider thoughts: scuttling across ceilings at an impossible speed, creeping along delicate threads of spider silk, pouncing on unsuspecting insects and devouring them.

Ok, maybe I shouldn't think so much about being a spider.

I scuttled up the wall, perching just over the door. The creepy Decepticon hadn't even glanced up once.

Alright, now to get the door open.

Was it motion activated?

I waved my hand in front of it.

Nope.

And there weren't any of those touch panel thingies.

Would it kill them to just stick to regular door knobs?

The Decepticon shifted, I scuttled back into a dark corner of the ceiling.

Come on, come on, this is the part where dumb luck is supposed to walk in and save my ass.

Sure enough, dumb luck delivered. The door opened with a hiss and in walked a sleek dark red Decepticon.

Not missing a beat a crawled through the door way.

The last thing I heard before the door closed was the red robot saying: "So Soundwave, what did those idiot mining drones get into now?"

Oh, please, please let Lola and Ziggy be ok.

Now to find Orion.

Cliffjumper had told me that his quarters were on the starboard side of the ship. So I guess I was going right.

I crept across the ceiling, diving into corners whenever a Decepticon passed beneath. Boy was I glad I wore dark colors; black pants, dark grey shirt, black jacket, and black backpack blending almost perfectly with the dark colors of the hallway. These guys seriously needed to get a new interior decorator.

I was sneaking along quietly, feeling like I was in a _Mission Impossible_ movie, when the light flickered out. All the doors in the hallway popped open with a hiss.

Zig-zag.

I don't know how, but he must've hacked into their system.

They probably had, like, a million years advancement in technology, and Ziggy managed to hack their system in fifteen minutes.

He was so going to get a kick-ass present for his next birthday. If I could figure out what to get him.

A rumbling of voices and large footsteps echoed from around the corner.

That was my cue to skedaddle.

I had no idea what room I was going into, I just clambered through the door. A second later the door hissed shut, plunging me into complete darkness.

I stayed perched on the wall as the footsteps passed.

All was quiet now, the silence only punctuated by my steady breathing.

And…the creak of metal?

Oh shit, I wasn't alone in here.

I held my breath, determined not to make a sound. I squinted, trying to make out a form, but I couldn't see a thing. Not even those lights that come from the robots' eyes.

The metal sound stopped also. As if it was trying to find my location as well.

I backed slowly to where the door was. But right then apparently fate decided I should have a wardrobe malfunction. As I was backing up, my shoe came loose and fell to the floor. The soft patter it made when it hit sounded like someone dropped an anvil.

"Shit." I whispered without thinking.

Lights flared in my face. After so long in the dark, they were almost blinding.

On instinct, I threw my hands up to shield my eyes. But that caused me to lose my grip on the wall and fall.

Right into a pair of hard metal hands.

They closed around me, squeezing the air out of my lungs.

Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh no.

How the hell was I going to get out of this one now?

**Yay, my first cliffhanger! Sort of. **

**By the way, though I wasn't going to explain exactly how Ziggy hacked into the ship's system in this story, I thought i might make a short side along story for it. I mean, Ziggy wouldn't just hack into their system, he'd have some fun with it too. It would be in third person p.o.v. What do ya'll think? Should I?**


	6. Off to a Rocky Start

**A/N: Alright chapter 6. And yes, at last, Optimus is in this one. I did my best to keep him in character, but then I remembered that Optimus wasn't Optimus at the moment and I wasn't exactly sure how Orion would act but I tried to keep him in character. He may seem a bit harsher in the beginning but that's only because he's spent several weeks in the presence of Megatron and anyone who spends that much time around Megatron (without getting killed) is gonna come out a little meaner. Anywho, hope you like. **

**My humble thanks to all who have read and reviewed so far. **

**I don't own transformers...Or the Surfin' Bird song.**

Great, this was just friggin' peachy. I'd come all this way only to be smashed into pulp by a stupid Decepticon.

Not fair at all.

I squirmed, struggling to get out of the thing's grip. But it only tightened its hold.

Was this really how it was going to end?

Didn't I at least get some last words or something?

My ribs were starting to hurt.

"Would you quit it with the squeezing? I'm not a stress ball!" I gasped.

_Really? _I asked myself._ Those are gonna be your last words? _

Then to my surprise the grip around me slackened.

I sucked in air, black spots dotting my vision.

The fingers uncurled around me so that I ended up lying flat on my stomach on the palm of the robot's hand.

"How did you get aboard this ship, human?" a deep voice rumbled above my head.

With a groan I rolled onto my back and gazed up at my captor.

With the exception of Prima, this guy had to be the biggest Cybertronian I'd seen so far. I'd guess his height to be somewhere between thirty and thirty-five feet. He had a wide, sturdy chest. And were those smokestacks sticking out of his shoulders? His helm was blue, his chest was red, and when I glanced down I saw that his legs were blue as well. Add in some white paint and he'd be one patriotic alien.

Still, the overall impression given was one that was magnificent, and intimidating as hell.

The robot jostled me a bit. "Answer me."

"I knocked and said I was delivering a pizza." What the hell? If this guy was going to kill me, I might as well go out being as much a snarky bitch as possible. It'd give him something to remember me by.

He stared at me, bright blue eyes wary but also a bit curious.

"Sarcasm is a foreign language to you isn't it?" I asked.

He cocked his head to the side then grabbed my leg with two fingers and lifted me into the air upside-down.

"H-hey! Knock that off!" I struggled for a moment then stopped deciding that it wouldn't be such a good thing if he dropped me from this high up.

He ignored me. Turning me side to side, he looked at me as if I were a strange beetle found crawling across his foot. "You're the first human I've seen up close. You're so small, yet your kind cause Megatronus such trouble."

I was starting to get queasy from all the blood rushing to my head. "Put me down you jerk! I'm not some insect!"

"Aren't you? You're so miniscule and weak." He poked my side. "You have no protective armor, no weapons, how has your kind managed to survive?"

"By annoying our enemies to death." I snapped. "Now put me down or I'll barf all over you. Have you ever tried getting vomit out of cracks in metal and wires? Trust me, it's not easy."

He dropped me back into his hand. I sat there for a moment clutching my head and trying to get the room to stop spinning.

"What are you doing on this ship?" he asked.

"I'm not going to answer that." I mumbled rubbing my forehead.

Quick as a flash he flipped his hand over. If I hadn't grabbed hold of his thumb at the last second I would've been Val pizza.

"Now will you answer?"

"No." I gasped.

He jerked his thumb around. One of my hands lost its grip.

"Rescue mission." I shrieked trying to summon the power of the Valkyrie but failing.

"And who are you supposed to be rescuing."

His thumb jerked again. I was now holding on by the tips of my nails.

"Orion Pax." I whimpered.

He gave a start.

I lost my grip and plummeted downward.

The red and blue robot managed to catch me a few feet above the floor.

"And why do you wish to rescue Orion Pax?" he asked.

I lay trembling in his palm. "If I told you, you'd think I was crazy."

"Does it matter? As of right now your chances of surviving are next to nothing."

"Good point." I took a deep breath. "I was tasked by the ancient Primes to rescue Orion Pax, help him regain his memories, and, if I had time, save the world from a guy called Unicron."

Ol' Blue-eyes stared at me. "I do not believe you."

I rolled my eyes. "Of course you don't. But it doesn't matter if you do or not, it only matters that Orion believes me and I need to get out of here to find him. So if you could be so kind as to not kill me and let me go on my way, I'd very much appreciate it."

He shook his head. "You will not trick Orion Pax with your falsehood either."

This guy was really starting to piss me off. "And how would you know?"

"_I_ am Orion Pax."

Well shit.

Talk about making a bad first impression.

"You can't be Orion." I said in complete denial.

"And why not?"

"Uh…because uh…you're…a douche bag?"

I don't think he knew what a douche bag was, but he got the message that I was insulting him.

"We shall see what Megatronus thinks of you, little human." He turned toward the door.

"Whoa there, hey I didn't mean to call you a douche bag, that was just a joke. You don't have to take me to the evil alien leader." I tried to jump from his hand but he clenched his fist around me again.

I desperately tried to summon a spirit's power, any power, but nothing was working.

_Prima!_ I yelled in my mind. _You seem to have left out a few small details. Like not only has this guy lost his memories, but he's been friggin' brainwashed too! _

No one answered.

_Come on! I need a little divine intervention here. _I pleaded._ Otherwise you're not going to have anybody else to do your dirty work. _

Orion was almost at the door.

Help.

I suddenly jerked as an electric shock traveled through my body.

_"Orion, stop this at once." _A voice, not Prima's, but just as old and authoritative, spoke.

Orion nearly dropped me, again, as he whirled around to see who had spoken.

A glowing figure stood in the center of the room. He was taller than Orion, and looked far older.

And was it just me, or did it look like he had a metal beard and long mustache?

"Alpha Trion?" Orion asked in awe.

_"Yes, my young student."_ The figure said. _"It is I. It has been a long time since I last saw you. I only wish our short reunion was under better circumstances."_

"How can I be sure it's you and not some trick devised by the human?"

Alpha Trion sighed. _"Does anyone, besides myself, know that you were the one who had rigged Sentinal's chair with high powered magnets? Or that you broke all the data pads concerning art from the early Golden Age, when you were trying to practice sparring in the Hall of Records? You know, you were very fortunate that I had backups of those." _

"Alpha Trion…I-I do not know what to say." Orion stuttered. "How are you here?" He reached out to touch his old mentor but his hand passed right through. "What has happened to you?"

_"It does not matter at the moment. Listen, Orion you must go with this human. Only she can help you regain your lost memories." _

Orion shook his head. "But Megatronus—"

_"Open your eyes young one. Megatronus is not all that he claims to be. I know you have been feeling some misgivings of late. They come every time Megatronus shows violence towards his crew. Every time he sneers at you when you talk of old times. Every time he shows blatant disregard for life on this planet. You know something is amiss. That is why you must go with this human. Go and see this world with eyes unclouded by hate. Go and regain your memories and know exactly what sort of being Megatronus has become." _

Wow, quite the speech.

Orion bowed his head. "Alpha Trion, I-I will."

The specter nodded then turned to me. _"I have several messages to give to you, little human." _

Orion shifted his hand so that I was sitting in his palm. I looked up at Alpha Trion. "Nothing too bad, I hope."

_"You wish to know how to defeat Unicron, do you not?" _He asked.

"I was told I needed to use Expulsion." I replied.

Alpha Trion shook his head. _"That alone will not be enough to rid this planet of his dark presence. When we Thirteen first defeated Unicron, we used the Star Saber. It is a legendary weapon that, when combined with the Matrix, holds incredible power." _

"Ok." Basically it was their version of Excalibur. "Let me guess, you want me to find this saber?"

He nodded. _"It has been hidden away on this planet for thousands of years." _

"Great, I don't have to leave Earth to get it. So could you like, draw me a map or give me a location to plug into a GPS?" I had a feeling I'd know what his answer was.

_"I cannot tell you precisely where the Star Saber is located."_ He said.

"Of course you can't," My shoulders sagged. "Because that would actually make things a bit easier for me."

_"However, I can tell you that the saber is in the far North, where the sun never sleeps in the summer and night reigns throughout the winter." _

"I'll pack some long-underwear." I grumbled.

_"There is something else I must tell you." _

"Knock yourself out." I said. Looking at Alpha Trion's confused expression, I sighed. "It means go ahead."

These guys really need to learn some Earth slang. And sarcasm.

_"We believe that Unicron will break free of the Matrix in just over two week's time." _

"Great, _that _doesn't put me under any pressure."

_"There's more,"_ Of course there was. _"Because of Unicron's awakening, dark energon, the substance that makes up his life blood, is rising to the surface in some places on your planet." _

"Ew."

_"What's more, the dark energon is having an effect on your spirit world. The dark spirits are using the power of the energon to gain stronger footholds in this realm. You must be wary of this, and if you come across any dark energon during your travels, you must destroy it immediately." _

This just kept getting better and better.

Alpha Trion turned back to Orion. _"Remember what I have told you. Go with this girl, keep her safe. And keep yourself far away from Megatronus. I must leave you now. May good fortune favor you, until all are one." _

"Until all are one." Orion replied.

And with that Alpha Trion faded away.

Another shock went through me then I sagged sideways feeling incredibly drained.

He must have been using my power to make himself visible to Orion.

He could have at least asked first.

Then again, I shouldn't complain. He probably saved me from an excruciating death.

I looked back at Orion. "So are you in or out?"

"What?"

"Are you coming with me or not?" I asked.

Orion stared at the spot where Alpha Trion disappeared. "Though I do not trust you, I trust my teacher's judgment. When I said that I would go with you I meant it."

He knelt and set me on the ground. I staggered over to where my shoe had fallen and grabbed it, hopping in place as I put it on.

"Alright, let's go grab Lola and Ziggy, and get the hell out of here."

Orion opened the door, and we walked into the hallway.

Well, he walked. I had to run just to keep up with him.

"There is an emergency escape hatch that way." Orion pointed down the hall.

"Yeah, but Lola and Zig-zag are that way." I pointed in the opposite direction. "I can't leave them."

Turned out I didn't have to. Not five seconds after I spoke the two came barreling around the corner.

"You're alive!" Lola cried with relief as they came to a stop beside me.

"Is this the guy?" Ziggy asked pointing at Orion.

"No, it's some other Cybertronian that I stopped to have a little chat with." I rolled my eyes. "Lola and Ziggy, meet Orion Pax. Orion Pax, meet Lola and Zig-zag. Oh, and I'm Val by the way. Introductions over? Good, now let's make like a banana and split."

I sighed again at Orion's confused expression. "It means let's leave."

"Preferably soon." Ziggy said, looking down at a small netbook.

Once again, where the hell does he keep it all? His backpack is only so large.

"This way." Orion walked quickly down the corridor with the three of us running behind.

"So I'm guessing that whatever Ziggy had planned worked out?" I asked.

Lola laughed. "Hell yes! Those Decepticons were so busy with the chaos going on in the control room that we could've tapped danced our way out of the room and they'd never notice."

"Speaking of chaos, you'd better brace yourselves." Ziggy said.

"They reached the last level?" Lola asked.

Last level? What were they talking about?

"Yep." Zig-zag replied.

The lights shut out, plunging us into complete darkness save for the blue glow of Orion's eyes. Everything was dead silent.

Ziggy started snapping his fingers. "And-a one, and-a two, and-a—"

_"A-well-a, everybody's heard about the bird _

_ Bird, bird, bird, b-bird's the word _

_ A-well-a, bird, bird, bird, the bird is the word _

_ A-well-a, bird, bird, bird, well, the bird is the word," _

The music blared loudly throughout the hallway. The lights in the corridor began to flicker in time with the music as did the doors.

"Seriously?" Lola shouted over the din. "You picked _Surfin' Bird_ for the final song?"

Ziggy shrugged. "Bird is the word. Oh, and get ready."

"For what?" I asked.

The ship suddenly tilted to the right. We all staggered into the wall.

"For that." Ziggy said.

"You did all this?" I asked.

"Yup."

"Ziggy you're awesome."

Ziggy pretended to flick dust off his shoulder. "Please, tell me something I don't know."

"Ok, I dropped your ipod in the toilet last year." Lola said.

"What?"

Before they could say anything else, the ship tilted to the left and we all went sliding that way.

"What is this?" Orion demanded.

"It's just a small virus I put in the ship's computer to help us escape. They'll be able to get rid of it in a few hours."

After a few hours of this song I wouldn't be surprised if the Decepticons decided to just blow the _Nemesis_ up.

The ship tilted right again.

Staggering through the corridor we made it to the back exit. Orion popped the hatch and clambered down onto one of the pointy wing things outside.

He held out his hand. "Climb on."

Lola walked up to the hatch. But then the ship tilted again, and before Ziggy or I could grab her, she stumbled and fell through.

She barely had time to scream before Orion grabbed her.

I let out a relieved sigh, heart starting up again.

Orion placed her on his shoulder. Lola clung to his smokestack, trembling violently, but in one piece. Ziggy was next to clamber down, thankfully without falling. He held on to Orion's other shoulder.

I breathed deeply and used what energy I had left to summon the Valkyrie again. I glanced behind me: the wings were there.

Sure, _now_ they work.

I jumped down, circled around Orion then landed.

Orion stared at me for a moment then shook his head and climbed down the wing of the ship.

Once we were all safely on the ground we took off into the forest.

We ran for several minutes until we came to a small gravel road.

"Here." Orion said coming to a stop.

"What?" Ziggy asked. "Why are you stopping? There's no stopping. We need to run as far from that ship as possible."

With a mechanical whirring sound Orion transformed into a red and blue rig. The doors popped open.

Ok, I had to admit, that was cool.

"Or we could drive out of here." Ziggy said dumbfounded. "That works too."

We clambered in. Orion gunned it out of there.

We were out of the park in mere minutes.

But none of us relaxed until we had crossed the state border into Idaho.

I guess for a rescue mission that could've gone both better and worse.

At least we had Orion.

Now all we had to do was find this Star Saber. And get it to the core of the planet.

Preferably before two weeks were up.

I sighed and sank back into the seat.

My to-do list never seemed to end.

**That's all for now folks. I think I'll go start writing that short story now. **

**Reviews? Please?**


	7. Haunted Pond

**Alright here's chapter 7. Sorry if there's any mistakes, gramatical or spelling, I was in a rush to get it posted. It's a bit shorter than the others, but I hope you like it. **

**I don't own Transformers. **

"And there went yet another rest stop." Zig-zag grumbled, staring out of the passenger side window.

It was late morning the following day. We'd been traveling all night long, Ziggy, Lola, and I dozing off but never actually falling asleep. Orion seemed as eager as we were to put as much distance between us and the _Nemesis_ as possible. But tensions were starting to run high.

Another hour passed.

"Next rest stop in five miles." Ziggy read the sign as we passed. "It has a convenience store _and_ a fast food restaurant—"

"THAT'S IT, I'VE HAD ENOUGH!" Lola yelled suddenly, causing Orion to swerve a bit. "We are going to that rest stop."

"That would be unwise." Orion said. I don't think he saw me shaking my head furiously.

"No, what would be unwise is you not pulling over." Lola snarled. "We're out of snack food, we're nearly out of water, my legs are so badly cramped from sitting this long that I'm not sure I can feel them, I want to be able to pee in a toilet and not in the bushes on the side of the road, and I want a hot, greasy cheeseburger. So pull over damn it." Lola could tough out a lot of things, but every girl has her breaking point, and this was Lola's.

"No." Orion said. I smacked my forehead.

"Listen you ten-ton tin-head." Lola growled menacingly. I swear the air got colder. "You're going to pull over, or so help me I'll go Carrie Underwood on your metal ass and take a Louisville Slugger to your headlights and slash your tires."

"Val, Lola's scaring me." Ziggy whimpered.

"Orion it wouldn't hurt to stop for about a half-hour." I reasoned "We're ready to go at each other's throats here. Please, let's just stop for a bit."

He deliberated for a moment then sighed. "Very well, but you have thirty minutes, no more."

Lola and Ziggy cheered.

Orion pulled off at the exit and parked near the back of the tractor trailer lot. He hadn't even come to a complete stop before Zig-zag and Lola jumped out and sprinted across the parking lot.

I clamber out of the driver door. "We'll be back in a little while. Don't pick a fight with any of the other rigs while we're gone."

"It would be impossible to fight with them, they are non-sentient." He said.

I sighed and shook my head. "Sarcasm, you really need to learn it."

As I walked into the rest stop I was immediately assailed by the scents of greasy fried food.

My god, I've found Nirvana.

I made a quick stop at the bathrooms then hopped in line. I ordered the largest meal combo they had, complete with a large milkshake, and then high-tailed it over to sitting area to look for Lola and Ziggy. I found them sitting by the windows. Ziggy had two burgers in his hands, alternating bites between them. Lola had the straws to both her milkshake and soda stuck in her mouth, sucking them both down at once. I sat down beside them and tore into my own artery-clogging meal.

I'd been chowing down for about five minutes when I noticed the spirit enter the restaurant.

And I knew she was a spirit because one: she walked right through everybody, and two: her outfit hadn't been in fashion since I'd say the mid eighteen-hundreds.

The girl scanned the room before zeroing in on me. She made her way to the table.

I wasn't surprised that she'd found me. One thing I'd learned is that a _Spiritus Potens_ gives off this vibe that acts like a homing beacon to all spirits. If they were within only few miles from me they'd be able to find me.

The girl, she looked to be about twelve, walked up to our table. Ziggy and Lola kept on eating, oblivious.

"Please Miss, can you help me?" She asked. "I've been waiting so long for someone to be able to see me and help me move on. Oh, please will you help?"

I sighed. "Can it wait until I'm done eating?"

She shook her head. "No, not at all. I need you to come right away."

The dead had trouble waiting.

Then again, I didn't exactly have room to talk.

I looked regretfully at the rest of my meal and groaned. "Alright."

At least I'd get to stretch my legs some more.

I stood up. "Can you guys watch my bag? I need to go outside for a bit."

"Why?" Ziggy asked with a mouthful of food.

"Someone needs to talk to me." I said with a pointed look.

Understanding dawned on their faces. "Sure go ahead."

I followed the girl out across the parking lot. We walked back to the trailer lot. For a second I thought she was going to walk up to Orion, but she walked past him and through the trees lining the lot.

"Where are you going?" Orion asked as I passed.

"A spirit needs a little assistance. I'm going to hear her out; it should only be a few minutes."

"Be careful." He said.

"Duh."

I pushed my way through the trees then down a small hill. The girl led me through a small field with tall grass. She came to a stop in front of a pond.

"Alright kid, what do you need?" I asked.

She pointed to the pond. "Please Miss; I dropped my Momma's favorite broach in that pond. I tried to get it back but I drowned. Can you get it for me?"

"Uh, kiddo I think your mom has passed away already." I said.

She shook her head. "Please can you get it? I won't be able to rest peacefully until you do."

I eyed the murky grey-brown water. "Sorry, but it's like fifty degrees out and I'm not swimming through a mucky pond to look for a—"

"I insist!" the girl cried disappearing then reappearing right in front of me.

I jumped back as step. Ok, my _Spiritus_ senses were tingling. Something was definitely not right here. I glanced back at the rest stop. It was maybe a quarter mile away, hidden behind the trees.

"Miss, I must insist that you get into the pond." the girl's voice eerily hard.

"No." I said backing up a few feet.

She sighed, "Must you make it so difficult?" She reached behind a rock and drew out a long knife.

Yep, something was definitely wrong. I didn't care if the knife was real or not, I turned and took off. The girl appeared in front of me slashing the knife. It cut the sleeve of my jacket.

Ok, knife real. Knife very, very real.

I backed up slowly. "I like this jacket you know."

"Well you shouldn't have run." The girl said holding the knife out in front of her.

"What do you want?" I asked.

"You. Dead." The girl stated simply.

At least she was to the point.

"And what have I done to you exactly?"

She shrugged. "Oh, it's nothing personal, just business."

"Well that's a relief."

"Now please, go into the pond."

"Why? You've got a knife. Why not just run me through?"

It might not be the smartest thing to point that out to Psycho Pioneer Girl, but I was stalling, trying to think of a way out of this.

"Drowning is much more fun." The girl stated.

"Really? I didn't know that. I had always heard that strangling was the way to go."

The girl shook her head. "No, I like drowning. I used to drown puppies and cats in this pond. Then I drowned my little sister, and then my little brother."

There was no punishment, parental or eternal, harsh enough for this kid.

"Fascinating." I croaked. I had backed up so far that I was about knee deep in the freezing cold water.

"Yes, it may not look it, but this pond is rather deep. It was very easy to hold my sister under. Unfortunately when I tried to drown my brother, he dragged me down with him and I perished at the bottom."

"How sad for you." Come on Val, think. You have a brain don't you?

"Yes," the girl sighed. "I've had such a miserable time stuck at the bottom of that pond. But then this wonderful purple rock appeared and a voice spoke from it."

I jolted for a moment. Purple rock? Did she mean dark energon? Alpha Trion had said that dark spirits were using it to gain a physical foothold in this realm.

"What did this voice say?" I asked glancing around trying to find where the dark energon might've been stashed.

"It said that it would set me free from this pond and give me the power to hold things again. But it said that I had to kill any spirit seers that I came across. And you're my first one!" She sounded like a girl who'd just one a goldfish at a fair, not someone plotting a murder.

"Yippy for me." I glanced at the pond.

Could it be there? There was nowhere else close by that the dark energon could've been hidden. But if I went in after it, I'd be easier to drown. I stared at the girl. If she was using dark energon then I doubt if I could get rid of her using Expulsion, but it might slow her down.

I imagined there was a brick wall between me and the girl. Then motioning with my hands, I imagined shoving it at her.

She stumbled backwards. "Stop that."

I shoved again, yelling as loudly as I could.

The girl flew back several feet, dropping the knife.

I turned, took a deep breath, and dove into the waters.

The temperature nearly knocked the air out of my lungs. I kicked to the bottom, eyes searching through the murky depths. Something purple glinted in the dim light. I swam over and pulled out a thin purple crystal that was about the length of a football. The dark energon. I was about to kick off when something hit my side, sending me spinning. The girl appeared out of the gloom, her face nothing more than a grinning skull now.

My lungs were beginning to ache. I tried to swim to the surface but the girl held me down. I lashed out at her but my legs and arms went right through.

She could grab me, but I couldn't hurt her.

Not fair.

I thrashed frantically, the dark energon crystal still clutched in my hand, but nothing could loosen this girl's hold.

My lungs felt like they were about to burst when something shoved into the girl, knocking her off me. It was a young boy and girl. The drowned brother and sister. They were struggling to hold down the older girl.

I swam up quickly, coughing up water as broke the surface.

"Val!" It was Orion, roaring up in rig form. He transformed and started running towards me.

I felt a jerk on my leg. I tossed the dark energon to the shore.

"Orion," I cried. "Orion quick you have to destroy the dark—"

I was yanked back down again.

The girl clawed at me, as I struggled to get away.

Then the girl jerked in pain, losing her grip. A large hand reached into the water and plucked me out.

I gasped and coughed for a minute, clutching Orion's hand like it was a life vest. I looked around; there was a small smoking crater where the crystal had been.

"I-I think blowing it u-up m-might have been overkill, b-but th-thanks." I chattered.

"All you alright?" he asked.

I laughed then coughed "S-sure, besides b-being nearly drowned to d-death by a psycho prairie g-girl I'm just spectacular."

"You are using sarcasm aren't you?"

I smiled shakily. "You're catching on quick."

Just then the girl staggered out of the pond, her image flickering.

"Put me down." I told Orion. He placed me warily on the ground.

I walked up to the girl.

"You're supposed to die!" she cried.

"And you're supposed to be spending time in hell." I replied. I formed a metal bat in my mind again and swung at her with all my might.

She disappeared with a shriek.

"The spirit is gone?" Orion asked.

"Yeah she's gone." I sighed. "And hopefully never coming back."

A soft whispering sighed echoed behind me. I turned and saw the two children. The girl was around six and the boy didn't look much older than nine.

It was heart-wrenching to know that they had perished at such a young age. It was so unfair.

"Thank you." I whispered. "She's gone now. Be at peace."

They smiled at me and faded away.

I turned to Orion. "Come on; let's go before I catch pneumonia."

He transformed back into a rig and I climbed in. We drove back to the truck stop through a hole in the trees. There were also tire ruts going down the hill.

"Looks like you made a bit of a mess." I noted.

"I did not think of finding another way, I heard you scream and rushed to your aid." Orion replied.

"Aw, that's so sweet." I said.

"I am simply following the orders of my teacher." He said.

"You just had to go and ruin it for me."

We rolled back up to the truck stop and I hopped out.

There was a trucker who'd just pulled up. He was looking from the hole in the tree line, to the branches sticking out of Orion's grille, to me soaked and shivering.

"What the hell happened?" he asked.

I yanked off my jacket and wrung it out. "Problems with the parking brakes." I said.

I marched over to the rest stop just as Lola and Ziggy were walking out.

Ziggy waved. "Hey Val, hope you don't mind but we filled you bag with some water and sn—why are you wet?"

"Turns out the spirit wanted to drown me in ten feet of pond water." I said.

"What? But how could it do that?" Lola asked.

"It had some dark energon." I said.

"I'm guessing that since you're standing here you managed to beat it?" Ziggy asked.

I nodded. "With some help from Orion."

"So let me get this straight," Lola said holding up her hands. "While we were busy buying Dasani water and Slim-jims, you were fighting a homicidal spirit and trying not to be drowned?"

"Yep." I nodded. "Does that make you feel guilty for not coming to my rescue?"

"Very much so."

"Good, because you're buying me a change of clothes."

All joking aside, I now knew firsthand what that dark energon could do. And I had a feeling that the pond-spirit was going to seem like Girl Scout compared to what we would have to face in the future.

**So, reviews? **


	8. A Bit of Trust and Lots of Nightmares

**I gotta say, I didn't have as much fun writing this chapter as I did with the others, so sorry if its not as good. It's a filler chapter, but don't worry there will be action next chapter. It does have a little bit of Optimus/Val bonding time though. **

**I don't own transformers.**

"I tell you, after a long day of running from evil alien robots and nearly getting drowned by homicidal spirits, nothing feels better than taking a nice hot shower." I sighed, towel-drying my hair as I walked out of our motel room's bathroom.

We were somewhere in the Canadian province of British Columbia, just a few miles north of the U.S.-Canada border. Orion had finally relented and had let us stop at a motel for the night.

"Hey," Lola said "If we survive this doomsday stuff, remind me to update my passport. I honestly don't know what I was thinking trying out those blond highlights." She grimaced at her picture.

"Well you can't get rid of it just yet." Zig-zag said. "For all we know we might end up having to go to Russia."

"Why the heck would we need to go to Russia?" Lola asked.

"The descriptions that Alpha Trion gave to Val, the ones that say where the Star Saber is hidden, I've looked up the locations and it could be anywhere in northern Canada, Alaska, Russia, Greenland, and Norway."

"I don't want to go to Russia or Greenland." Lola whined flopping down onto her bed. "Why couldn't the Saber have been hidden someplace nice like Florida, or Hawaii? Besides, I don't even think there are any roads to get to Russia."

"It's not in Russia or Greenland." I said.

Ziggy and Lola turned to look at me. "What makes you say that?" Ziggy asked.

I shrugged, rubbing the back of my head. "Not sure, just a feeling I guess. I mean, I am supposed to be the one to find it after all, so it should make sense that I have some feeling as to where it is."

"Hey, maybe you could go into one of those trances and get its exact location." Lola suggested.

"I don't think it works like that." I said.

"Give it a try."

I sighed and sat down on the floor. "Alright, but no promises."

I relaxed and let my mind go blank then pictured a sword. I focused in on that image. Several minutes passed and nothing happened. I switched tactics; picturing a map of Canada and Alaska. I don't know what I was waiting for, maybe an "x" to appear with the words "Saber hidden here" but nothing happened. I waited several more minutes, but nothing came to me.

I sighed and shook my head. "Sorry guys, I guess I'm just not feeling it."

Lola shrugged. "It's fine; at least we know we don't have to go to Russia."

"Yeah, but that still leaves us, like, a half-million miles to cover." Zig-zag grumbled.

Lola chucked a shoe at him.

I rolled my eyes. "I'm gonna go downstairs and do a load of laundry. Do you guys have anything you need me to wash?"

A minute later I exited our motel room carrying a large plastic bag filled with dirty clothes. I walked down to the empty laundry room that was adjacent to the check-in. There were four washing machines and three dryers, one of which was broken. I loaded our clothes into a washer, not bothering to sort colors, dumped a little package of detergent in, shoved some quarters into the slot and hit start. The machine chugged to life, rocking in place a bit. The thing looked a bit decrepit; I just hoped it would get the pond-water smell out of my clothes. I shuddered at the memory of the psychotic spirit.

Maybe I should put my clothes through the wash twice.

I looked around the room; there were plastic chairs lined up by the windows, a magazine rack stood by the door. I picked up a fishing magazine that was issued a year ago, flipping through it aimlessly. With a sigh I dropped it back into the rack, and glanced out the window. Orion was parked on the edge of the lot. He looked melancholy, or at least as melancholy as a rig could look.

I headed out the door, and walked over to him. "What's up buttercup?"

He was silent.

I sighed. "It means: how are you doing?" I really needed to get him a book on human terms. I let out a small laugh as I pictured him pinching a small book between his enormous fingers.

"I was thinking about my lost memories," he said. "And about Alpha Trion…he is dead, isn't he?"

"Most likely, I mean, it was his spirit that we saw. And I've never heard of a spirit being able leave it body while it's still living." Orion sunk on his axels a bit. "But there's always hope, the rules might be a bit different for your kind." I hated to give the guy bad news on top of him not having any memories. It felt like I was kicking him while he was down.

"I feel as if I should know what had happened to him." Orion muttered, more to himself than to me. "And yet there is nothing. It is so frustrating!" His engine revved a bit.

"Easy there, you'll get your memories back, I'm sure of it. And if you need any help, I'll be happy to chuck a few rocks at your head to see if that knocks some memories into you." The idea was actually sounding rather appealing. "Heh, you know maybe we should drop a few horseshoes or—"

"Are you talking to your truck?" A small voice asked behind me.

Uh-oh.

I turned slowly and saw a boy and his mother staring at me. The kid had a puzzled look on his face while his mom had that wary look that said "Is this chick supposed to be on medication?"

It was a look I was all too familiar with.

Oh what the hell, might as well go with it.

"Yes, yes I am." I said with a big smile. "Would you like to talk to it too? I should warn you though; it has a bit of a potty mouth."

The woman hustled her son away, throwing scared glances back at me.

"Why did they leave?" Orion asked.

"Because they think I'm nuts—I mean insane." I replied. "And they wouldn't be the first ones. I can't tell you how many times I've had to change schools because a teacher or student would catch me talking to myself."

"But you were really talking to spirits." Orion said.

"Yep, but they didn't know that."

"Would it not be easier to explain your abilities to them?" he asked.

I sighed. "There are several good reasons why I can't and won't do that. Reason number one: if I told them that I—to quote _The Sixth Sense_—"see dead people" I'd end up stuck in a straight jacket while being force fed medication, which on some days seems to have its perks. Reason number two: on the off chance that they would believe me, I would be bombarded by requests to talk to dead relatives, friends, pets, and other such stuff. And finally, some might be frightened by my powers, call it witchcraft and devil-worship, and try to kill me. People are frightened by what they don't understand. So we _Spiritus Potens_ have to be very careful about who we choose to reveal our powers to."

"Zig-zag and Lola know." Orion pointed out.

I nodded. "Yeah, I lucked out on them. Mostly the only people who know about our powers are family members. The ability isn't past directly from one descendent to the next, but in old families stories are passed down to warn future generations. That's how it happened with my father. He never had the power, and neither did my grandfather, but apparently my great-grandfather did. Unfortunately he died before he could teach me anything so it was up to my Dad. He did his best but it's hard to teach something you don't fully understand."

"And does he approve of you going off on this venture?" Orion asked.

I sighed. "I'd like to think so. He died about five years ago, murdered."

"I am sorry."

"It's fine. Once the pain in your chest fades a bit you can start to function like an actual person again."

"Couldn't you summon him?" Orion asked.

I grimaced. "I-I've tried once or twice, but nothing comes through. To be honest, I'm kind of scared to see him like that. I mean would you want to see Alpha Trion like that?"

"I already have."

"But if you hadn't, and you knew that he had passed on, would you really want to summon up his spirit?" I asked.

Orion was silent for a moment. "I would like to have the chance to speak with him, to get advice, but…"

"You'd be afraid to see him as a spirit, to know that he really isn't there beside you, that he isn't anything more than air. To see him like that would just reinforce the knowledge that he is gone and can never really come back. That you're alone. Do you understand what I mean? It's…it's just…" I was having trouble putting my feelings into words.

"I believe I understand." Orion said. "Your father meant a lot to you."

"Yeah," I sighed, leaning up against the driver-side door. "But enough about me; what about you? What about your parents? Not to be rude, but does your kind even have parents?"

"We have sires and carriers." Orion explained. "They would be our equivalent of parents."

"Ok, so what about yours?" I asked.

"I never knew my sire or carrier; I was abandoned as a sparkling." He said. "The earliest memories I have are of Alpha Trion. He became my guardian and mentor."

"So you and I are kinda in the same boat." I said. "Uh, that means we came from similar situations."

"It appears that way. But what of your other parent?"

"When I became a _Spiritus Potens_ my dad took me away from my mother and younger brother. I think one of the reasons why was because some of my ancestors had some bad blood between them and another _Spiritus_ family and my dad didn't want my mom and brother to get caught in the crossfire if the others happen to run into me." That was only part of the reason, but whenever I had asked Dad why we really left he would always shake his head and say: "Be grateful you don't know, and pray you never have to find out."

"And your mother does not know what you are?" Orion asked.

I shook my head. "No, she doesn't know. I've kind of always resented him for not telling her. I thought that maybe if she knew, we might've been able to stay. Of course, now with all this dark energon and evil spirits trying to kill my kind off, I guess it makes sense why we left. If the spirits wanted to get to me, they'd target my mother and brother."

Of course if Prima was correct, Jack probably already knew about this dark energon stuff, at least as far as the Autobots were concerned.

"So you distanced yourself to protect them."

"Yeah, and believe me there were times when I wanted to runaway back to them. Heck, I even looked up their address once, a couple years back. But it was just after my dad had died, and I just couldn't work up the nerve to go. I still have their address, even got a picture of their house. It's a small one in Jasper, Nevada—"

"In the desert." Orion said suddenly.

"Uh, yeah. How'd you know?" I asked.

"I-I don't, it's just that when you spoke of that town an image of a desert came to my mind."

"Huh." Was all I said.

It would appear that some of his memories were already trying to wiggle their back into his brain, or processor or whatever they call it.

I kicked at a rock, searching for a new topic of conversation. "So, uh, what's it like living on Cybertron?"

"I'm not sure I fully understand your question?"

"What would an average day be like for you?" I asked, partly to see if it would help jog any memories and partly because I was honestly curious.

"Why would you wish to know about my daily activities on Cybertron?" He didn't sound wary, just a little dumbfounded that I'd be asking such a question.

I shrugged. "What better way to learn about a different culture than to see what a day for one of its people would be like? Besides, I need to kill time while I wait for our clothes to wash."

Orion sighed. "I suppose there would be no harm in telling you."

"Harm? What, you still don't trust me?" That hurt a little bit.

"Do you wish for me to tell you the truth, or a fabrication?"

"Woah, was that an attempt at sarcasm I just heard?"

"Possibly." He rumbled. I think he might have chuckled a bit.

"Come on, don't you trust me, even if it's just a little bit?" I asked.

"Possibly."

"Yes." I fist pumped the air. "He possibly trusts me just a little bit."

Hey, it was progress.

"You are strange." Orion said. I'm pretty sure that if he were in robot mode he would've been shaking his head.

"Actually this is pretty normal for me." I said. "Of course my definition of strange may be a little different than yours."

"Clearly."

"So come on, what's a day in the life of Orion Pax like? I'm curious."

Orion sighed. "I am not sure where to begin."

"Well did you have some sort of job or occupation? What was that like?"

He was quiet for a moment, thinking. "I had an occupation as a data clerk in the Iacon Hall of Records. There I…"

I sat on the cold ground while leaning against the side of his tire, listening to him speak and imagining what life was like on a distant planet.

* * *

><p><em>Air burned my lungs as I ran swiftly through a darkened forest. Twigs and leaves scraped against my hands and face. I kept glancing behind me, certain that my pursuer was about to pounce, but I saw nothing. Still I kept stumbling blindly through the trees, trying to get away. Away from what, I didn't know. All I knew was the fear and fury that was coursing through my whole body, egging me forward, to flee. <em>

_I broke through the trees only to come to a skidding stop before a cliff. All around me was snow, ice, mountains, and pine trees. The cliff was too steep to climb down. The only way was to turn back but that was the one thing I couldn't do. _

_A raspy chuckle echoed from the forest behind me. "Ain't it pretty little Darby? They call this place the Gates of the Arctic, but I'm gonna rename it the Gates of Hell for you. 'Cause that's what you're gonna face when you come, kid." _

_A man slowly emerged from the forest gloom. I heart stopped as I recognized the straggly straw-colored hair and the scar over his right eye. His shirt was still stained from the bullet holes. _

_He grinned at me, his teeth pointy and jagged. "Can't wait to see you again little Darby. You're gonna drop dead just like your daddy." _

_He lunged for me and I fell backward off the cliff. _

"_You can't escape me kid. I know what you're lookin' for and I'll be waiting you." His cries echoed after me. _

I jolted out of my sleep gasping, a scream just on the edge of my lips. It took me a moment to realize that I was in the motel room, Zig-zag and Lola still sound asleep. The clock read 4:37 a.m. I lay back down, trying to stop the violent tremors that rocked through my body.

_He's dead._ I told myself. _Dead and dust. He can't hurt you. _

But I knew that was a lie. Especially now that I knew what the dark energon could do. Still I kept repeating it to myself until the sun came up and Lola and Ziggy woke.

"So I guess we should be hitting the road again." Zig-zag yawned. "Any ideas as to where we're going Val?"

"The Gates of the Arctic." I croaked.

The two fixed me with concerned looks then Ziggy brought out his computer and started typing.

"You ok?" Lola asked.

I shook my head but didn't say more. I was praying it was just a made up name.

"That's in the Brooks mountain range in northern Alaska." Ziggy said.

I closed my eyes to keep the tears from slipping out.

The Star Saber was there and so was Logan Peschy.

Logan Peschy: responsible for the deaths of three woman and two men, one of whom was officer Robert Darby of the Seattle P.D. Peschy died from blood loss from four bullet wounds to the chest.

I knew it was four bullets because I was the one who put them there.

Right after I saw him murder my father.

**Ooooh, got a little dark there in the end. **

**Val's not going to be facing Peschy next chapter (it's a long drive to get there) but she will have a run-in with a certain militant group of humans who want to steal Cybertronian technology. **

**Hmmm, I wonder who that could be. **

**Reviews?**


	9. Car Chases and Wind Spirits

**So here's the story: I was all excited to write my first small fight scene and then I realized...this was my first fight scene. Did I even know how to write a fight scene? Much less a fight happening during a chase? Did I know how to write a chase scene? Talk about being plagued with self-doubt. So for the past two days I've been typing then deleting, typing then deleting and driving myself bonkers! Anyway, hope you like the chapter. **

**I don't own transformers.**

We were in Alaska now, had been for the past two hours. The winding roads and surrounding country side provided breath-taking views. And if I were feeling more upbeat, I would've thoroughly enjoyed the scenery. But as it was, I had quite a bit weighing on my mind. To me each mile we drove brought me a mile closer to Peschy.

"Are you alright, Val?" Orion asked.

He, Zig-zag, and Lola had been taking turns asking me that since we first got on the road.

"Quit asking me!" I snapped.

I felt bad for acting like this, but right now I needed to sort things out in my head before I could tell them anything. And judging from how my mood was affecting everyone, I needed to sort things out a bit quicker.

Well I guess fate decided I needed a distraction because after a half-hour I noticed we were being followed.

It was a sleek dark green muscle car with tinted windows.

Now I knew that Alaska wasn't exactly full of highways. And some small part of me wanted to think that this guy was just trying to get home and was stuck traveling the same way we were.

But the cop that was me couldn't fail to notice the precise distance that he kept: far enough away so as not to draw attention to the untrained eye, but closed enough that we were in his sights. It was the standard tailing position. Also, a car like that seemed out of place in the rugged Alaskan wilderness.

My suspicions only grew worse as I saw an identical car, seemingly from nowhere, pull out behind the first.

"Orion…"

"Yes, I know." He said.

"Know what?" Zig-zag asked.

"We're being followed." I said.

Lola peered through the rearview mirrors at the cars, now there were four.

"Is it the Decepticons?" she asked.

Zig-zag shook his head. "It shouldn't be. I've been cloaking any signals that Orion might be giving off."

We turned and stared at him. Well, Lola and I did, but I'm sure if Orion could he would've stared at Ziggy too.

"And just how the hell are you cloaking his signal?" Lola asked.

"Yes, I would like to know that as well." Orion growled.

"The data that I pilfered from the _Nemesis_," Ziggy said as if it should have been obvious. "I've been utilizing it to distort Orion's signal from the Decepticons."

"How did you steal data from an alien warship?" I asked.

"With the virus I implanted into its systems." Zig-zag said simply.

Lola cut me off before I could say anything else. "Just don't ask, Val, just don't ask. It involved the Muppets and purple people eaters and that's all I'm going to say."

Ziggy cackled. "It was hysterical."

"I find you to be a bit disturbing, Zig-zag." Orion said.

"You're not the only one." I mumbled.

I glanced back and groaned. We now had a grand total of five cars on our tail, and, drawn by a loud whirring sound, I looked up and saw two helicopters circling above us.

"Yep, something funky is definitely going down in Alaska." I said.

"Maybe they're border patrol." Ziggy suggested. "Technically we are transporting an alien into the U.S. without papers. Actually, the alien is transporting us."

I watched through the rearview mirror as the lead car's passenger-side window rolled down and a man clad head to toe in black leather aimed a gun at Orion.

"They're armed!" I yelled.

Orion swerved just as the man fired. It wasn't a bullet that was shot but an electronic device that hit the ground, sparked, and blew up a bit of the roadway.

"Ok, maybe they're really mean border patrol." Zig-zag squeaked, clutching his seat belt.

"With an obsession for leather?" Lola asked dubiously.

"Whoever these guys are, they mean business." I said. "He's about to fire again!" I warned Orion.

He managed to avoid getting hit, but then another of those cars swerved into the opposite lane racing up to us.

"They're gonna try to block us in." I said. "I'm going out there."

"Are you nuts?" Lola and Ziggy asked.

I gave them a look. "Superpowers remember?"

"Oh, yeah."

I eyed the cars; it was going to take some good acrobatics to get rid of them.

I think it was time to give Bast a try.

Warmth spread from my left ankle through my body. I unbuckled my seatbelt and crouched on the seat, perfectly balanced.

"Lola do you still have the gun?" I asked keeping my eyes focused on the door.

"Yeah." She said.

"Try to shoot out their tires. Their clothes look bullet proof and so do their cars but the tires are always an easy target."

"Don't have to tell me twice."

The car was almost level with us.

"Orion, when I say "now" open the door."

"Be careful." He rumbled.

The car was level with us now, the passenger-side window began to lower.

"Now!" I yelled.

With a bang, his door slammed open and I shot out, landing easily on the hood of the car.

They swerved, trying to shake me, but I held on, my nails—turned claws—sinking into the metal of the hood.

The guy on the passenger-side leaned out, trying to aim the gun at me. I jumped over the roof, landing on the back of the car. I reached over and yanked the guy into a headlock. His partner jerked the wheel again, but that only made the guy I was holding slide further out of the window.

Wrestling at seventy miles per hour, there's nothing like it.

With another swerve the guy was completely out of the car.

I dropped him.

He hit the ground with a yelp, the other cars swerving to avoid him.

I scampered around the side, and swung feet-first into the window, using the momentum to place a well-aimed kick at the driver's head. He crumpled on contact. I reached across him and spun the wheel, driving the car into its followers. I crawled back onto the roof and watched as two cars swerved by me, I jumped onto the roof of the third, but the fourth wasn't so lucky. The cars slammed into each other, bursting into flame.

Wooo, pretty colors.

Ok Val, focus.

The sunroof of the car I was on opened and another leather-clad lackey came out, fists up like a boxer. His right fist swung at my head. I bent backward to dodge then grabbed his wrist, kneed his gut, then using the force of his punch, levered him the rest of the way out of the sunroof and onto the roadway.

I looked down into the sunroof only to have a handgun pointed at my face.

"Shouldn't you be keeping your eyes on the road?" I asked the driver.

There was a loud crack and the car jerked to the left. The driver dropped the gun and tried to regain control of the car. Leaning down I slammed the driver's head into the steering wheel, knocking him unconscious. Geez, it did not take all that much to get rid of these guys.

I glanced at Orion and saw Lola leaning out of the driver-side window, pistol in hand and determined grin on her face. Judging from the grinding sound, the smell of burnt rubber, and sparks coming from the front side of the car, I guessed she'd managed to shoot out the tire.

With another shot she hit the right tire of the next car. A second shot and the left was out. The car came to a grinding halt, tires sparking.

That left only one car left. But the car I was on was slowing down because of its tire, it was too far to jump and I couldn't run to catch up.

It was right on Orion's tail when, with a screech of tires, Orion slammed on his brakes.

The car crumpled like paper against the back end of the rig.

I jumped off and ran over to them.

"Is everyone alright?" I asked.

Lola fist pumped the air. "I am Annie Oakley reincarnated."

"I think I've got whiplash but other than that I'm fine." Ziggy groaned.

"How about you, Orion?" I asked.

"Minimal damage." He replied.

I walked over to the crumpled car. The guys inside were alive, but definitely looked like they'd seen better days. A sharp chirp drew my attention to a small phone on the driver's belt. I reached in and snatched it.

"Hope you don't mind, but I'm borrowing this."

Neither said anything.

Bunch of chatterboxes these guys were.

I walked back to Orion and hopped onto his roof.

I rapped my knuckles on the metal. "Let's go."

He rumbled out of there leaving the battered cars and their drivers behind.

There were still the helicopters to deal with.

Gripping a smokestack for balance and keeping my eyes and the 'copters, I turned on the phone. "Hey, can I get an extra large mushroom and onion pizza with an order of garlic bread and a liter of Pepsi?"

There was silence on the other end of the line then: "That was quite a feat you pulled to get rid of my men."

"They call me Cat Woman." I said. "Now who the hell are you?"

"We are M.E.C.H. and I am Silas." The hard voice replied.

Did he practice saying that in front of his bathroom mirror every morning?

"Silas huh? You wouldn't happen to be an albino monk searching for the secrets of the Holy Grail, would?"

Silence.

"Uh, that's a _DaVinci Code_ reference. You know, Dan Brown, it was made into a movie starring Tom Hanks. Ringing any bells?"

Still no answer.

"Ok then," I sighed. "Obviously you're not a chatty Cathy. Why are you shooting at me and my friends?"

"There is a being called Optimus Prime in your traveling group. We _require_ his presence back at M.E.C.H. headquarters." Silas answered.

So these guys knew about the Cybertronians.

Guess that completely rules out the border patrol theory.

"Hmm, Optimus Prime, nope don't know anybody by that name. I do know a Bobby Prime, he lives in Oregon. You might wanna talk to him."

"I doubt that. Why, then, are you trying to protect that truck?" he asked.

"I'm a chick that likes good looking rigs and doesn't appreciate getting shot at, that a good enough excuse for you?"

"Your rig is the leader of a race of alien robots, a leader that, unfortunately for him, is against using violence towards humans." Silas said. "Letting the girl do the dirty work for you, Optimus?" he called loudly through the phone.

"My truck is an alien?" I gasped. "No wonder the dealership sold it to me for such a cheap price. A rig for only four-thousand bucks is just way too good to be true."

"Enough, whoever you are." Silas ordered. "You have one minute to vacate Optimus and allow him to deal with us in his own way, or you will perish. And I promise I will make it hurt."

"Shh." I whispered dramatically. "The big bot is having an identity crisis at the moment. Call him Orion. And no, there isn't any way I'm leaving him to deal with you bunch of nincompoops. Oh, and by the way, what the hell is with the leather outfits? Were they out of extra storm trooper uniforms at the costume store you shop at?"

All I got for an answer was a missile being shot from one of the helicopters.

Orion swerved, just barely avoiding it.

I clutched tightly onto the smokestack. "That was less than a minute!" I yelled.

I guess I had offended him with the crack at the uniforms.

"Sharp turn!" Ziggy yelled up just as Orion skidded around the side of a hill.

Funny thing, guys with big missiles weren't able to get me off the roof of a rig, but a sharp turn at over seventy miles an hour can.

Losing my grip on both the smokestack and phone, I flew into the trees lining the road, landing among the branches. Thankfully nothing was broken, but I was cut up, bruised, covered in pine needles and sap, and most importantly, I was mad as hell.

That's it, no more Miss Nice Val.

Summoning the Valkyrie, I took off after the helicopters.

And this time I had a plan.

As surprising as it seemed.

I reached out with my mind and summoned any spirits related to the wind.

I felt strong pressure building on either side of me. Two whirlwinds formed on my right and left.

_"What, what, what, what?" _said the right one.

_ "What human want?" _asked the left.

The spirits acted like a bunch of toddlers pumped up on caffeine.

"How'd you like to make a small deal?" I asked them.

_"Deal? Deal? What deal?" _asked the right.

_"What deal?"_ repeated the left.

"Help me take out those helicopters." I said.

The spirits buzzed like a swarm of angry hornets.

_"Hate helicopters." _The left growled.

_"Yes, yes, helicopters all whip-whip-whip-whipping the air. Hate them." _The right agreed.

"Do we have a contract?" I asked.

_"Yes!" _the left said.

_"You let us blow bad helicopters away. We go whoosh, they go bye-bye." _Said the right.

"Your names." I said. I hoped I was doing this right.

"_Euros." _Said the left.

_"ZZZZZZZephyros!" hummed the right. _

"Euros and Zephyros, spirits of the wind, lend me your powers so I may vanquish these intruders."

Did I just say vanquish? Really?

My forearms burned. I pulled down my sleeves and saw whirlwinds tattooed there.

I grinned, let's kick some M.E.C.H. ass!

I rocketed forward at a speed that made my eyes water and my hair stick out behind me.

When I was only a few feet behind them, I motioned upward with my hands.

They were hit from below by a huge updraft.

I swung my hands to the right.

They were spun in that direction, nearly crashing into each other.

I laughed, feeling the spirits' giddiness and energy coursing through me. It looked like I was an orchestra conductor, whipping my hands all over the place, watching the helicopters struggle to remain in control. I swooped above them, keeping out of sight, and made a twirling motion with my hands.

The 'copters began to circle in place, their rotary blades smoking. Faster and faster they spun until funnels began to form around them.

It was time to huff and puff and blow these bad guys out of here.

I inhaled deeply and, like the big bad wolf, I blew. Wind howled and the helicopters were swept far, far away. I watched them, tiny black specks by then, crash into the forest below.

My arms tingled, the tattoos disappeared.

_"Fun. That was fun." _Euros hummed.

_"We do that again, yes?" _Zephyros buzzed.

I laughed. "Next time I need to knock a bunch of helicopters out of the sky, I'll call you."

_"Yes!" _Euros cheered.

_"We go bye-bye now." _Zephyros said.

A gentle breeze brushed my face and then they were gone.

I think I was going to miss them a little bit.

I winged my way back to the others. They were parked on the side of the road, Lola and Zig-zag peering up at the sky.

Ziggy burst out laughing as I landed. I frowned and reached up to feel my hair.

Ugh, tree sap and high winds were not a good combination.

I turned to Orion. "Friends of yours?"

"M.E.C.H…the name is familiar…something about a train….and then Breakdown, he lost his eye…and…" he went silent.

"What about Silas? Does that ring any bells?" I asked.

"White hair…scarred…that is all." He said.

"Hey, its progress." I sighed.

"I gotta say Val, what you did back there was cool, scary as hell, but cool." Lola said.

I winced, rubbing a kink in my shoulder. "Glad you thought so, now let's get the hell out of here before they come back."

"Why?" Ziggy snorted. "You blew them all the way to Timbuktu."

"M.E.C.H. is not that easily beaten." Orion said.

"My thoughts exactly." I said. "Now can we—"

A figure flashed between the trees. I caught a glimpse of straw-colored hair, a scar over the right eye.

_"Didn't forget about me, did you little Darby?" _

"Move, move, move!" I screamed pushing Lola and Ziggy into Orion's cab. I slammed the door behind us, staring into the woods, but no one was there.

"Val you're trembling." Lola whispered.

"What's wrong?" Zig-zag asked.

"Orion drive." I said.

"No." he said.

"Drive!" I screamed, frantically searching the surrounding forest.

"Not until you explain your behavior." He replied calmly.

"Please drive." I begged. "I promise I'll tell, but please just drive."

Orion started up his engine and rolled down the road.

"Now," he said. "explain."

I looked at Ziggy and Lola's faces, both were a mix of fear and concern. A moment ago I was calm and looking victorious, now I was reduced to trembling like a leaf and looking like I was on the verge of a mental and emotional breakdown.

They deserved to know the truth, they've stuck with me this far.

But will they stay with me after they find out who's waiting for us?

I took a deep breath.

And went back to the night my father was murdered.

**Zephyros and Euros: Greek spirits of the west and east winds (spelling may differ depending on source). **

**Don't worry, M.E.C.H. will be back; they're like cockroaches: you just can't seem to get rid of them, and no, they don't know that it was Val behind the wind stunt, the last thing Val needs is for M.E.C.H. to be getting involved in the spirit business. **

**And for anyone who's been asking about Megatron; he won't be coming into the story until much later. But I am planning on having a certain backstabbing seeker we all know and love show up in a few chapters. **

**So reviews? I'd really appreciate any advice you have to help make future fight/chase scenes better. **


	10. Bad Memories and Worse Realities

**_Sorry for any mistakes, but I was in a hurry to get this posted. I didn't have much time to write; I've been dealing with last minute homework, and exploding lasagna dishes (I don't know what happened but suddenly there was a loud bang and glass, tomato sauce, and cheese flew everywhere...I'm never trusting my cousins' cooking again). So once again, I apologise for any mistakes. I hope you like it. It's darker. Oh, and it starts with a flashback._**

_Rain pelted the windows of the car as Dad and I drove home from the parent-teacher conference at my high school. I stared angrily at the light posts and houses that we passed. The meeting had gone well, until the teacher had started asking questions about Mom. Dad had replied with the standard answers he'd use whenever teachers got curious about our family. Usually it didn't bother me so much. But this time, Dad's excuses struck a nerve and I had stormed out of the room. _

_ Dad sighed. "You know why I have to tell them that." _

_ "You wouldn't have to if you'd just go back to Mom and explain what's wrong with me." I snapped back. _

_ "There's nothing wrong with you." Dad said sharply. He hated it when I said that. _

_ "Then why won't you let us move back? Or at the very least we could go see them." I pleaded, turning to face him. _

_ He ran a hand through his graying dark brown hair. "We don't even know where they live—" _

_ "We could find them." _

_ Dad almost swerved into the other lane. "What?" _

_ "We could look for them; it wouldn't be too hard to search databases." I said. _

_ "Val, we can't." Dad sighed. _

_ "But I've learned to control my powers." I tried not to whine like a toddler. "I haven't seen Mom in ten years; I want to know what Jack looks like. I know you miss them too." _

_ "Your mother might have found someone else." Dad grimaced when he said this. _

_Even after all this time he still loved Mom so much. He kept his wedding ring on a thin chain around his neck. I knew he wanted to go back as much as I did. I'd been slowly wheedling away at his resolve over the years. But he still remained adamant. _

"_She didn't." I said. "She wouldn't." _

"_It doesn't matter because we're not going back." Dad said. _

_I turned my head. "Well you don't have to, but in a few months time I'm going to be eighteen and when that happens I'm hopping on the first flight to wherever and searching for them." _

_ "Would you really endanger them like that?" Dad asked sharply. _

_ "From what? You never give me a straight answer when I ask." _

_ "I told you—" _

_ "Be grateful that I don't know and pray I never have to find out." I rolled my eyes. "You know what I think? I think you're just overreacting. There is no reason why I can't see them." _

_ "If you're going to be stubborn this conversation is over." Dad said. _

_ We lapsed back into angry silence for several minutes. Dad turned up the road that led to our small house, but stopped several feet from the drive way. There was an incredibly beat up car sitting in our drive way, a man leaned up against it. He had straw colored hair and a scar over his right eye. _

_ I looked at Dad and saw him tense, eyes watching the man wearily. _

_ "Peschy." He growled under his breath. "Val I want you to call the station. Tell them that Peschy is at our house and we need backup. Stay in the car." _

_ "Who's Peschy?" I asked. But Dad put the car in park and got out. _

_ I dialed the station, trying to calm myself by remembering that Dad had a gun in holster beneath his jacket. _

"_Val?" it was Derek Martil, a friend of my Dad's from the station. _

"_Derek, Dad's in some sort of situation; he needs backup." _

"_What's the problem?" Derek asked. _

_I watched nervously as Dad and the man seemed to start arguing. "This guy Peschy is at our house." _

_Derek started swearing. "I'm sending units over there right now. Are you somewhere safe?" _

"_I'm in the car." _

"_What's happening?" Derek asked. _

"_They're arguing." The man started gesturing wildly, I saw Dad start to reach into his coat. "Dad's going for his gun—" _

_And before I could comprehend what I was seeing, the man drew out a knife and stabbed my father in the stomach. The world became silent as I watched him draw the knife out and stab Dad a second time. _

_Dad staggered away and fell to the ground. _

_I heard a high pitched scream then realized it was coming from me. I dropped the phone and jumped out of the car, desperate to get to my father. _

_I stumbled to his side. "Dad! Dad!" _

_Dad shook in pain. "…Val…get…away…" _

"_Dad!" _

"_Well what do we have here?" The man asked, grinning sadistically. "A little Darby. Aren't you cute. Shame about your daddy, but don't worry I'll put you out of your misery." He began walking towards me. _

_What came next happened in a matter of seconds. Reaching into my father's jacket, I yanked the gun out of the holster. The safety clicked off. I swung it around and pointed it at the man. He barely had time to register it before I pulled the trigger. _

_BANG! BANG! BANG! BANG! _

_A stunned look crossed his face as he dropped to the ground. He didn't move after that. _

_I dropped the gun and turned back to Dad. His face was pale and his eyelids fluttered. _

_I yanked off my coat and placed it over his wounds, applying pressure like I was taught, trying to stop the spread of blood that had already stained most of his shirt. _

"_Val…" _

"_I'm here Dad, just hang in there. Help is coming." I heard sirens in the distance. Neighbors were rushing out, yelling and screaming to call an ambulance, some rushed forward to try to help me. _

"_Get away!" I screamed at them. _

"_Val…" Dad croaked. _

"_Dad you just hang on, ok, you can handle this, just hang on." _

_I heard sirens in the distance. _

_Everything was going to be ok, Dad was going to be ok. _

"_Val…I'm going…" _

_I shook my head, tears spilling out of my eyes, mixing with the rain that was drenching my skin. The rain that was mixing with my father's blood. "No you're not. No you're not. You're not going to the other side. I won't see you as a spirit. I can't, I won't." _

_Dad weakly raised his hand to touch my cheek. "Shh…it doesn't hurt…so much…anymore…" _

"_Please don't leave me." I whimpered. "Daddy, please, please don't leave me. You still need to see Mom and Jack. I still need lots of training. The guys at the station need you; you're the best cop they've got. Daddy please, you can't go." _

_Dad let out a weak, choking breath. "Remember…to always be…Valiant…my Valiant daughter…I love you so much…" _

"_I love you too Dad." I whispered. _

_Dad let out a small sigh. His chest stopped moving and his eyes glazed over. _

_I shook him. "Dad? Dad this isn't funny. Dad quit it. Dad? Dad!" I started screaming, punching his shoulders trying to get him to respond. "Dad answer me damn it! Please! Please!" _

_A set of strong hands grabbed my arms. Pulling me away no matter how much I struggled. _

"_I'm sorry Val, he's lost too much blood, he's gone." A voice said. _

"_We need to sedate her." I heard someone say. _

"_No! No! Let me go! Dad!" I screamed. _

_Something pricked my arm. I felt ice seep into my veins. My vision got blurry. _

"_No…Dad…" I mumbled. _

_The world went black. _

I had my knees pulled up against my chest, my arms wrapped tightly around them. I didn't look at either Zig-zag or Lola, instead choosing to stare at the leather of Orion's seats. During the five years after Dad's death I'd managed to bury most of the memories and pain deep inside of me. But now, telling them what had happened, they all resurfaced as fresh and painful as ever.

Glancing up at them, I saw mixed looks of shock, horror, and pity on Zig-zag and Lola's faces. I couldn't decide which I hated more; the shock, the horror, or the pity. They knew my father had been murdered, but they never knew how it'd happened. And I was regretting telling them as I looked at their disturbed expressions.

Lola reached out to touch my shoulder.

I jerked away. "Please don't. I just need a minute."

Zig-zag tugged on Lola's arm. "Come on. Let's go get some fresh air. Pick up some supplies in that store over there."

We had arrived in some small Alaskan town. I hadn't caught the name.

Lola cast an uncertain look at me then followed Zig-zag out.

I leaned against my knees, tears spilling down from my eyes.

After a moment Orion spoke up. "I know that you are in distress, but ostracizing yourself from those who care about you will do nothing to help the situation."

I groaned. "I guess if I wanted to be alone I should've gotten out."

"I wouldn't have let you." The locks clicked down. "It would be idiotic to let you wander when there is an individual out there seeking to kill you."

"Well if you won't let me out, will you at least let me wallow in peace?"

"Wallowing does not suit you." Orion said.

"And how would you know?" I asked, getting mad. "You haven't even known me a week."

"I know that you are a woman who has not had the easiest of lives. I know that you are capable of bearing great burdens and taking them in stride. I know that you are sarcastic, impulsive, determined, loyal, and courageous. I know you care deeply for your friends and that they care deeply for you. That is all I need to know."

I wiped my eyes. "Gee is that all?"

"No," Orion said. "Your friends need you; they rely on you just as you need them. And distancing yourself from them will not help you."

"I know." I whispered. "But I've gotten so close to them; I'm afraid to lose them. What if they get hurt or killed during this whole crazy trip? They placed their faith in me and they'll get killed for it!"

"They knew what they were getting into. They are free to make their own choices and they chose to go with you."

"But—"

"Enough." Orion rumbled gently. "You will not face this fiend alone. Now you will rest until Zig-zag and Lola return."

"Pushy." I grumbled, but I leaned back into the seat, surprised when the leather molded to my shape. "Thanks."

"Think nothing of it. Besides, if you forced Lola and Zig-zag to leave, it would be just you and I, and I would rather not lose what's left of my sanity."

I gave a watery laugh, my eyelids drooped and I soon fell into a dreamless sleep.

"Val, wake up." It was Orion.

I groaned and rubbed my eyes. "How long was I out?"

"A little over two hours."

I looked around at the empty seats. "Where's Ziggy and Lola?"

"That is why I woke you. They have not returned."

A sinking feeling started in the pit of my stomach. "You haven't seen them at all."

"No. I thought that they were simply keeping their distance to give you time to deal with your feelings, but as they have yet to return, I am becoming concerned." He said.

"I'll go check the store."

Orion started up the engine and drove through the town to the general store.

"I could've walked." I pointed out.

"I do not want you out of my range of detection." He said. "Now hurry."

I ran into the store, searching up and down the aisles for them. I asked the store clerk; the guy said he had seen them but they'd left hours ago. Running outside, I checked the around the side of the store. Their backpacks lay on the ground, shredded. My heart stuttered. There was a trail of wrappers and junk leading from the bags to the woods beyond.

"Orion." I called.

He rumbled around the corner. I held up the torn bags then pointed to the woods. He wordlessly opened the door, I climbed in and we followed the trail. Once we got deeper into the woods, I hopped out and Orion transformed. The trail led to a stump. One of Ziggy's laptops rested on it. I turned it on, heart pounding as I waited for the computer to boot up. Orion was crouched behind me. The laptop opened up to the webcam application. My breath stopped as I saw a Peschy appear on the screen, looking very real.

"Hey there little Darby. I got tired of waiting so I decided to meet you half way." He grinned.

"Where's Zig-zag and Lola?" I demanded, grateful that my voice didn't shake.

"There just fine. I promise there's not a scratch on them." He paused and frowned. "Actually I can't promise that, they did get a little scratched, but they're not dead."

He turned the camera and Lola and Ziggy came into view. They were bound and gagged.

And scratched into their cheeks was the word "bait".

I couldn't breathe.

What had I gotten them into?

"So you know the deal little Darby, you come and I might let them go." Peschy said.

"Where?" I whispered, unable to stop staring at Lola's and Ziggy's wounds.

"There's an abandoned quarry about six miles east from where you are. We'll be waiting there." Peschy said. "Oh, and your iron giant better not think about pulling anything funny. He comes with you; I've got something to get rid of him too. You have an hour. Don't keep me waiting. I really hate waiting."

The screen clicked off.

I stared at it, shaking.

Orion gently closed the laptop with his finger. "Val…"

I staggered away. I only made it a few steps before I leaned up against a tree and vomited. The bile burned my throat but I couldn't stop, terror and fury gripped me.

I finally managed to stop, gasping for breath. "Oh god, this is all my fault. This is all my fault." I banged my forehead against the tree.

"Val, we must hurry if we are to rescue them." Orion urged. "Do not let your fear take control, if that happens he has already won."

I let his words sink into my mind. Then slowly my fury rose, overtaking the terror, drowning it. My nails dug into my palms, drawing blood. That bastard made me lose a father. I'll be damned if he tries to take away my friends.

"I'll send him so far into hell that he'll never be able to crawl back out." I snarled.

"You will not be alone." Orion said. "We _will_ rescue Lola and Zig-zag."

He transformed and I climbed in, my mind buzzing with rage. We raced towards the quarry, not sure of what to expect.

It didn't matter if Peschy had two-hundred tons worth of energon, I'd destroy him.

It was time to face my demon, or die trying.

**Ugh, I know, sucky chapter ending. I'll understand if you hate me. **

**I'll try and update as soon as possible but school is starting back up and I have to study for finals, so just hang on and we'll get through this. **

**Oh, I'd also like to real quickly reply to some of the reviews. **

**SailorShinzo: **Optimus should be getting most of his memories back in about 4 or 5 chapters, sorry i can't give any more away.

**AlexisOptimus: **You know, originally i had Val saying "Woo sparkly" but then i realized that car crashes don't really sparkle :) i'm glad you like the chapter.

**Alright, that's all the time i have, i gotta hurry and post this. **


	11. Zombie Robot and Closure

**Whaaahhh! I'm so sorry! I didn't mean for you to wait this long. I rushed to get this chapter up, sorry if they're any mistakes in spelling or grammar. Hope you like it anyway.**

**I don't own transformers.**

"I don't suppose you have some sort of plan, do you?" I asked as I stared at the open gates that led to the quarry.

"Unfortunately I do not." Orion said.

"So we're just going to take what he throws at us and roll with the punches." I said.

"That would appear to be our only option." Orion replied. "Are you ready?"

I breathed deeply. "No, but let's go anyway."

Orion rolled through the gates, his headlights cutting through the twilight gloom. We traveled down a bumpy maintenance road, trees eerily looming on either side. My eyes darted back and forth searching for signs of Lola and Zig-zag. A blur streaked across our path and then Peschy appeared before us, glowing in the headlights. Orion rolled to a stop.

"Just to be sure, you can see him can't you Orion?" I asked.

"Yes."

I cursed. "Shit, he must have a whole stock pile of that dark energon if he can be seen by you."

Peschy grinned lazily at us, sending shivers down my spine.

"Why don't you come out?" he called. "Easier to talk to you."

I reached for the door, the lock was down.

"Are you sure?" Orion asked.

"He might do something to Lola and Zig-zag if we don't cooperate. For now we'd better do as he says." I said.

Orion rumbled with unease but opened the door. I slid out and walked around to the front, keeping one hand on Orion for support.

"Where's Lola and Zig-zag?" I demanded

"Oh they're hanging around here somewhere. Gosh you've grown little Darby." Peschy said. "Heard you became a cop just like your daddy. How fitting, you take the same job as him and I'm going to carve you up same as him."

"Not while I'm here." Orion growled. He transformed and crouched behind me, glaring daggers at Peschy.

Peschy tilted his head to the side, giving Orion a calculated look. "So you're the bot that's been causing the Big Man such trouble."

"Big Man?" I asked.

"Yeah, technically he's called Unicron, but I kinda thought it was geeky so I nicknamed him the Big Man 'cause, well, he's a huge robot." Peschy shrugged casually as if this were a water-cooler conversation.

"How would you know Unicron?" I asked, my eyes shifting around trying to find any sign of my friends.

"He enlisted some of us who've been floating around in torment." Peschy said. "He needed someone to off this Prime guy," he gestured to Orion. "I guess he means you though I was kind of expecting something more. He also said to kill off anyone with dual colored eyes, the ones that could see spooks. He's a bit busy dealing with some earthy chick and a funky alien machine thing; otherwise he'd take care of you himself."

"Why would he want to kill _Spritus Potens_?" I asked.

Peschy shrugged. "Apparently one of your kind is a real threat to him. Didn't get all the details; I was busy trying to find one of them. And then I remembered that I'd seen someone with two different colored eyes, the same someone who'd shot me." He smiled. "And when I found you traveling with this bot, well that just proves you're the one. It just gives me further incentive to kill you."

"If you kill us, then Unicron wakes up and the whole Earth is destroyed." I said. "Do you really want that?"

He laughed. "I'm dead, what do I care?"

He had a point.

Peschy rubbed his hands together. "Alright, I think that's enough chit-chat, let's get to the fun."

Orion rumbled threateningly, placing a hand in front of me as a shield.

Peschy frowned at him. "Sorry, but this is between me and little Darby. So if you could back off, that'd be nice."

"No." Orion growled.

"You know you can't actually touch me, right tin-head?" Peschy asked. "Still, can't have you snooping around trying to find my little store of the dark rocks, luckily I brought something that'll keep you busy."

He snapped his fingers. A giant grey blur slammed into Orion. I was knocked to the ground. I lifted my head to find Orion; he was standing in battle position, sword drawn and a metal mask over his face. Across from him stood a robot that definitely looked worse for wear, he was dented and scratched and even missing an arm. But he was huge, bigger than Orion. The robot's eyes were a lifeless purple, and violet colored vapor seemed to be seeping from it.

There was just something about it that was just wrong.

"What is that?" I croaked, shakily climbing to my feet.

"Like him?" Peschy asked as if he were talking about a new pet. "I found this guy wandering around in another dimension. I knew I couldn't do much damage to your buddy over there so I decided to drag this guy along. He ain't much of a talker, but it's not like he's alive so it doesn't really matter."

"You reanimated a dead robot." I said in disbelief.

"Actually, he was already walking around when I found him. But I did pump him up with extra dark energon to make up for the lost limb. He's now twice as fast and twice as strong." Peschy stated.

A zombie robot, that's what Orion was up against.

Did kill shots to the head still work?

"Skyquake." Orion growled.

The zombie just snarled at him. It didn't attack; it seemed to be waiting for Peschy's signal.

"That's his name?" Peschy asked. "Better than calling him Dead-Dumbass I guess. Now, while Darby and I talk," he snapped him fingers. "Skyquake fetch."

With a roar Skyquake charged Orion, ramming into him with a deafening crash. I started to rush to Orion's aid but Peschy appeared in front of me, forcing me to stumble back.

"Now now Darby, let the big bot take care of himself." He said. "You've got other problems to worry about."

I glared at him, my body tingling with rage and the slow build of power.

"It'll be no fun to kill you immediately, so I'm gonna give you to the count of thirty to prepare whatever tricks you got up your sleeves." Peschy said. "I'll even close my eyes."

My mind raced, trying to come up with strategies. It was doubtful that my Expulsion techniques could do any damage to him. Not without destroying the dark energon first. And I had to find Lola and Ziggy.

"Ready? One, two, three…" Peschy closed his eyes, a sadistic smile on his face.

I glanced at Orion; he was standing off against the zombie, turning in place as it circled him.

I wanted to help him, but for now he was on his own.

"Ten, eleven, twelve…"

I turned and sprinted toward the quarry. A tingle spread down my back and I took to the air, racing through the evening sky to find my friends. I crested over the trees and viewed the wide chasm, several hundred feet wide, and a few hundred feet deep. I spotted Ziggy and Lola tied up by their arms on the side of the quarry.

I raced toward them. "Lola! Zig—"

I yelped as something hard knocked into me, sending me spinning down into the ravine. I hit the ground, rolling to help absorb some of the fall. Groaning, I stood up, bruised and battered but with nothing broken.

Peschy appeared several yards in front of me, sauntering slowly forward. "That wasn't very polite." A speck of silver glinted in his hand, a knife.

I imagined a wall was between us and shoved it at him. He didn't even stagger.

Right, I guess I had to do this the hard way.

I pictured in my mind that trusty bat. And just in time too, Peschy charged me, arm raised. I blocked the knife with my bat, dodged to the side and swung at his back. He fell forward.

He laughed as he stood back up. "You're gonna have to do better than that little Darby."

Peschy slashed again. I rolled to the right and hit his left leg. He stumbled onto on his knees. I jumped up and swung at his head. There was no thunk or crack but he went down all the same. He lay unmoving.

I doubted that he was finished; I'd just bought myself some time.

I needed to find the dark energon.

I took off through the quarry, scanning my surroundings. Come on, come on, time wasn't on my side here.

There was a flash of purple to my right, I sprinted toward it.

Several large piles of the stuff sat hidden between large boulders. I could practically see the evil radiating off of the dark crystals.

Now how the heck was I supposed to destroy them?

The clang and screech of metal echoed from the forest above. A roar pierced the air.

Orion was dealing with his own problems. I had to handle this myself.

I ran towards the rocks, air burning my lungs.

"Oh no you don't." It was Peschy.

Still running, I glanced back; Peschy stood several yards behind me, fury etched into his face. He raised his hand and hurled the knife.

There was no time to avoid it.

Pain seared my right calf. I went down.

I looked at my leg and whimpered; the knife was jammed up to its hilt, blood was pouring down. My leg was paralyzed with pain.

Peschy walked up to me. "You know, this was kinda disappointing, I was hoping for more of a fight."

He kicked me in the stomach. I cried out and rolled into a ball, my right leg sticking out awkwardly.

"Pathetic." He spat, yanking the knife out.

I screamed from the pain.

Peschy looked down on me, shaking his head. "Well Darby this looks like the end of the line for you. What a shame, I really expected more. Maybe your friends will be more fun."

"No." I croaked.

No, he wasn't going to hurt Zig-zag or Lola or anyone else. I couldn't let him.

I rose to my hands and knees and began to crawl.

It didn't matter how futile the effort.

It didn't matter that my leg screamed in pain with each movement.

I had to stop him.

Warmth blossomed up from my left arm, spreading through my body to my injured leg. My leg grew hot then the pain faded away. I looked back in amazement to find my leg completely healed, not scars, there wasn't even any blood, just a hole in my jeans. With a deep breath a staggered upright, turning to face a disbelieving Peschy.

He stared at me with wide eyes. "How the hell did you do that?"

Asclepius, the healing god.

I smiled grimly. "I guess I still have a few tricks up my sleeve."

Peschy shook his off his astonishment. "Whatever, so you'll take longer to die; more painful that way." He readied his knife.

I wasn't going to go down that easily. Not only was my leg healed, but I felt new confidence and strength rush through. I summoned the bat.

_No,_ I thought. _I'm going to need something more powerful, more permanent._

The bat shifted, growing longer, heavier, and sharper.

Peschy eyes grew wide as he looked at the sword I held in my hands.

The blade was perfectly balanced; it felt like almost like an extension of my arm.

I looked at Peschy and grinned. "Mine's bigger."

I lunged forward. Peschy dodged to the left. I pivoted, sword coming up to block his blow. I smacked the flat of the blade against his head. He staggered back. I slashed the blade down on his right arm.

He shrieked as it dissolved. Peschy clawed at his shoulder frantically. Slowly, the arm began to reappear.

Time to finish this.

I ran towards the dark energon, sword raised. Some instinct drove me forward. I swung the blade down upon a pile, the crystals shattered into dust upon impact.

Whoa, didn't know I could do that.

I sliced the sword into another pile; it dissolved as well. There was only one pile left.

Peschy screamed in pain. I turned just in time to see him charge me. I deflected his blow easily.

He stumbled to the ground. "Why don't you just give up?" he staggered to his feet. "You're going to die anyway. Did you know that? In order for Unicron to be defeated, you're going to die. I bet your precious earth goddess failed to tell you that."

"You're lying." I growled.

Before Peschy could say anything a loud clang echoed from above. A second later a large object fell into the quarry only a few feet from us. It was the robot zombie's head. I glanced up to see Orion standing on the ledge, battered and scratched but in one piece.

"No." Peschy croaked. He charged me again.

I swung at the last pile; it shattered into a billion pieces.

Peschy howled, knife slipping through his now transparent fingers. He dropped to his knees.

I walked up to him, sword poised in hand.

I stared down at the man who'd had took my father from me. Who'd haunted my nightmares for the past five years. Who'd tried to kill my friends.

I expected to feel some sort of furious victory. But right then, all I wanted was for it to end. To have him leave and face whatever fate awaited.

"Logan Peschy," I stated calmly, like a judge sentencing a criminal. "you will leave this life, and you will _never, ever_ come back."

I stabbed my sword through his chest, right where his heart would be.

Peschy let loose one last shriek then disappeared.

I stared at the place where he'd been then sagged against a nearby boulder. I felt drained; the sword dissolved.

"Val, are you alright?" Orion called down.

"I'm fine." I replied weakly.

With a groan I summoned my wings and flapped tiredly up to the ledge. I would've fallen back down if Orion hadn't caught me.

"Thanks." I groaned, leaning against his fingers. "I take you managed to handle Mr. Tall Undead and Creepy."

"I take it you managed to handle Peschy." Orion replied.

I nodded. "Yeah, he'd gone for good now. Come on, we need to get Zig-zag and Lola."

We walked to where they were hanging. Actually Orion walked, I was so tired I just let him carry me in his hand. Orion pulled them back over the ledge. They were both unconscious and gagged. I shook them. They woke with a start, screaming against the gags then they say me and their screams turned into sobs of relief. I yanked the gags out of their mouths and unbound them.

Lola threw her arms around me. "Oh thank god. I'm sorry. Oh god, we thought you wouldn't make it, or you'd get killed…" she broke down and sobbed even harder.

I hugged her tighter, tears forming in my eyes. I looked over at Ziggy. He was shaking silently, tears streaking down his face. I held out one arm, he flew into the embrace, gripping both me and Lola.

"I'm so sorry." I whispered through my tears.

I looked over their shoulders at Orion. He was watching us with warm, sad eyes.

_Thank you._ I mouthed. I wanted to thank him for keeping me sane, from preventing me from crawling into a cowering ball, for helping me rescue Lola and Ziggy even though we were practically strangers; people he'd only known for a matter of days.

I wanted to tell him all of that, but I could only get out two words.

Orion gazed at me for a moment then nodded, a small smile of understanding lighting up his face.

There wasn't much else to say. Lola, Ziggy, and I just sat there for several minutes, crying and holding onto each other. Finding comfort in our small mismatched family.

After a few minutes I leaned away from them, eyeing the scratch marks across their cheeks. Gently I brushed my fingers against the wounds. The scratches closed up, the dried blood disappeared.

I smiled weakly. "Let's get out of here."

And leave this nightmare far behind us.

**And that's it for this chapter folks. **


	12. Twelve Shots of Tequila Later

**A/N: Finished this earlier than expected. It's a filler chapter. Hope you like it. **

**I don't own transformers **

I breathed into my hands, rubbing them together to keep warm in the cool Alaskan night air.

After we'd left the quarry we'd salvaged what we could from Lola and Ziggy's torn packs then drove nonstop for several hundred miles. We arrived at another small town around noon. I wasn't exactly sure where we were, mid-Alaska possibly. Zig-zag and Lola were too tired to keep going so we stopped at a tiny motel; emphasis on _tiny_, the place had exactly five rooms not counting check-in, no TV or internet. Not a lot of business out in wherever it was we were. But Ziggy and Lola were too tired to care; after they'd gotten cleaned up they'd passed out.

I'd dozed in and out for a few hours but never actually fell asleep. Peschy's words were nagging at the back of my mind.

_You're going to die anyway. Did you know that? In order for Unicron to be defeated, you're going to die. _

He had been lying of course; trying to mess with my head. At least that's what I told myself. But still I couldn't stop thinking about what he'd said. At one point I'd tried contacting Gaea but got nothing. Then I tried Prima and Alpha Trion; they weren't answering either.

I needed to get a new service provider.

Fed up and restless, I left the motel, telling Orion that I was heading to the store to get some supplies. But really I just needed to stretch my legs. I wandered the streets aimlessly, watching my shadow lengthen as the sun set. It sure was chilly for spring, then again this was Alaska.

How long had we been traveling?

I paused for a moment, calculating. Five days, I think. It seemed longer.

Alpha Trion had said that Unicron would break free in just over two weeks.

Well we seemed to be making good time. We were already in Alaska. Of course we still had to find the Star Saber and a way into the planet's core. One that didn't involve me or anyone else getting killed in the process.

I huffed and shook my head. _Quit thinking about that. _I scolded myself.

A flash of neon caught my eye. An old roadside bar stood just down the road. A few beat-up SUV's and pickup trucks were parked in its gravel lot. It had a worn down but friendly look.

What the hell. A drink wouldn't hurt, and a nice chat with the locals might help distract me.

I trekked over, opening the door. The faint scent of tobacco greeted me. The bar was lined with mismatched stools, different sized tables were placed around the room, and on the far end was a faded pool table. There were about six people occupying the bar, seven including the bartender. They looked up as I entered but soon turned back to their conversations and drinks. I made my way to the bar and sat on a rickety stool.

I laid a few dollar bills on the counter and gave the bartender a small smile. "Hi."

He walked over to me, his thick white beard and hair and bulky stature gave the impression of a well muscled Santa Clause.

"What'll it be?" he asked.

"Um, do you have any tequila?" Was it sold this far north?

He nodded reaching for a bottle, but then he turned back to give me a scrutinizing look.

"You got ID?" he asked.

I yanked out my driver's license and showed it to him.

He squinted at it then nodded. "Washington huh?"

"Yep."

"What you doing way up here?" he asked, placing a shot glass on the table and filling it.

I took the glass with a nod of thanks. "Sort of sightseeing."

"And what do you think of Alaska so far?" he asked.

"Gorgeous scenery, but it sure is cold for spring. How can you stand it?"

He chuckled. "We're a hardy people."

"Bunch of frozen dummies if you ask me." I raised the glass to my lips and drank in one swallow. "Then again, I can't really talk; I live in Seattle, where you're never really fully dry."

The bartender laughed and poured me another drink. I gulped it down then another. Warmth began to slowly seep through me.

I stared at my glass for a moment, pinky finger circling the rim. "Do you think it hurts?"

"What?" the bartender asked.

"Dying, do you think it hurts?" I asked.

He stared at me. "What brought this on?"

I grimaced. Stupid slip of the tongue. "Sorry, didn't mean to say that. It's just; I was told very recently that I might not live much longer."

"You terminal?" a voice called from across the room.

I turned and saw a woman with grey hair and an old brown leather jacket.

She thought I was ill. I couldn't exactly tell them the truth, so I decided to go with it.

"Nothing's uh conclusive yet." I said.

"My Pa was terminal: lung cancer. Poor old timer." She sighed. "Even up til the end they were runnin' tests on him. And he sat in that hospital bed, coughing so hard he choked up blood. He was begging for them to pull the plug, to just let him go. They finally did, he went peacefully."

Ok, that did not make me feel better.

"That ain't the worse way to go." said another patron four seats down from me. "A buddy of mine got his foot caught in a rusty bear trap. He hadn't been vaccinated, and he got lockjaw. His whole body slowly seized up, nothing the doctors could do, he got there too late. Let me tell you: that did not look like a fun way to go."

I suppressed a shudder as images of death by paralysis and lung cancer filled my mind. I shouldn't have opened my mouth.

"I got one worse than that." said another person. And then the bar was full of people trading off most painful death stories.

I groaned and leaned my face into my hands. Just great, I came in here to forget and instead I just made things worse.

The bartender gave me a sympathetic look. "Want another shot?"

"Yes, please."

* * *

><p>The room was buzzing pleasantly.<p>

"Anotha shot please." I said, spinning the glass on my finger.

The bartender shook his head. "Sorry, but I think twelve is the limit for you. I'm cutting you off."

"Noooo Santa. Val wants another shot." I whined, slapping my hands on the counter.

He sighed. "I think it's time you got back to your motel."

"No more?" I asked.

"No more."

"Fine." I sighed. I handed the bartender a few more dollar bills then got off the stool, but the floor seemed to tilt a little. I stumbled. "Whoa, I didn't know this bar was a boat."

Hah, bar was a boat. That sounded funny.

"Do you need someone to take you back?" the bartender asked.

I waved him off as I walked to the exit. "I'll be fine, I have super powers."

I turned to the door only to run face first into the wall.

I stared at the door, two feet to the left of where I'd crashed. "Who moved the door?" I asked.

They just stared at me.

I shrugged and stumbled out the door, shivering slightly as the night air hit me. As I walked back to the motel I hummed the tune of my favorite Billy Joel song, singing the lines that I knew.

"_Remember when I found you there,_

_Alone in your electric chair._

_I told you dirty jokes until you smiled."_

I started humming again until I got to the chorus line.

"_You may be right,_

_I may be crazy._

_But it just may be a lunatic you're looking for! _

_Turn out the light. _

_Don't try to save me. _

_You may be wrong, _

_For all I know, _

_But you may be right!" _

I twirled around as I sung the last stanza, laughing. A rumble of an engine echoed behind me. Turning, I saw a familiar set of headlights coming my way. Orion was only a few yards from me when I jumped out in front of him and screamed, "Chicken!"

He swerved and slammed on the brakes, plowing into the bushes. I doubled over laughing.

"Are you insane?" he demanded.

"You may be right!" I cackled.

He reversed, stopping in front of me. "Where have you been?"

"I traveled through an old wardrobe that took me to a mystical land where I met a wise lion and battled an evil witch."

"You are intoxicated." Orion said accusingly.

I shook my head so fast that I could hear air whipping past my ears. "No I'm not. I'm sone stold cober…I mean cone sold stober…I mean...shit, I know this…"

"Stone cold sober." He suggested.

"Yeah, that's the one. I'm stone cold sober."

"I beg to differ." He said.

"Well while you do that, I'm gonna go back to the motel." I started walking.

"Val." Orion called.

"What?"

"The motel is in the opposite direction."

"Oops." I spun and began walking in the right direction.

Orion opened his door. "Come, you are in no condition to travel back by yourself."

"I'm peachy keen, jelly bean." I retorted. "I don't need your help."

"That wasn't a request." He growled.

I stuck out my tongue and blew a raspberry at him then took off running.

"You'll have to catch me first!" I yelled over my shoulder.

Not even a second later a heard the roar of his engine only a few feet behind me. I swerved into a large patch of woods lining the roads. Ducking between the trees, I laughed as I ran. A root or fallen branch caught my leg and I went down.

"Timber!" I yelled, laughing as I rested on the ground.

Loud footsteps shook the ground as Orion came running towards. He did his best to dodge the trees but he couldn't avoid toppling one or two. I snorted as I watched. He stopped a few feet in front of me, looking furious.

"Why are you acting this way?" he demanded.

"Uh-oh, boss bot's mad." I mumbled. "Time to go."

I started to crawl away but with a sudden tug I found myself hanging upside; Orion holding my legs with his fingers, holding me up to face level.

Huh, this seemed oddly familiar, talk about déjà vu.

"Why are you acting so irresponsibly?" he repeated.

"I'm drunk, you said so yourself." I retorted.

"But why did you choose to drink?" Orion demanded. "Zig-zag, Lola, and I have searched the town trying to find you. Do you…"

I sighed as he started on what would no doubt be a _long_ lecture. His words buzzed around me like annoying flies. I watched his lips move, trying to think up some way to get him to shut up. Then it hit me; the brilliant plan, or rather, the only plan my drunken brain could come up with.

Slowly I began to swing back and forth. Each swing brought me closer to Orion's face. When I thought I was close enough, I held out my hands, trying to catch his chin. I missed by a few inches.

Orion noticed. "What are you do—"

With the next swing I managed to catch his chin. I pulled myself up to his mouth and pressed my lips to his lower lip.

The plan worked. Stunned, he stopped talking.

His lips were surprisingly warm for being made of metal.

Huh, I wonder why that was.

Still, it wasn't all that bad. For kissing an alien robot.

I let go and swung back. Grinning up at him when he still didn't say anything.

"What's the matter big guy?" I taunted. "Never been kissed before?"

He regarded me with inscrutable eyes. "Why are you acting like this?" he asked quietly.

And with that simple, quiet question, something inside me just broke and I began to cry. Tears dripped from my eyes into my hair.

"I don't want it to hurt." I whimpered.

"What?" Orion asked, lowering me slowly onto his other hand.

I curled up on his palm. "When I die, I don't want it to hurt. Peschy said that I'm supposed to die so that Unicron can be destroyed."

"You believe the words of that monster?" Orion demanded.

"No one's said anything otherwise." I mumbled. "I'm not really afraid of _death itself_, I'm just afraid that it'll hurt. I've been through so much pain already; I don't want it to hurt when I go."

Orion sighed. "Val, you cannot take Peschy's words to heart. He was just trying to unnerve you."

"Well, it's working." I grumbled.

"You are not thinking clearly. We will discuss this tomorrow when you are less befuddled by alcohol." He gently cupped his other hand over top of me, casting me into darkness except for the dim beams of light that slipped through his fingers. "You need to rest now."

"Fine." I sighed. His warm hands kept the chill out, and I soon found my eyelids drooping. "Just don't leave me, ok? I need something solid to hold onto right now."

Orion rumbled quietly. "I promise I will not leave you. And I also promise that I will do everything in my power to keep you from any situation where you may have to forfeit your life."

"That was kind of wordy." I mumbled. "But thanks."

"You're welcome, Val." He murmured.

I sighed and slipped into a calm, dreamless sleep. Content in my temporary safe haven.

**And that was Val and Optimus' first sort-of kiss. Hehe, I've been dying to write that scene since the beginning of this story. Hope I did a good job with it.**

**Like it? Hate it? Review and let me know. **

**Lyrics from _You May Be Right_ by Bily Joel. **


	13. Hangover Cure and Ambush

**A/N: Whoohooo! Finals are over! I swear it seems like my school was the last to take them. Now all I have to worry about next semester is trigonometry *shudders* I hate trig, and algebra, really any type of math. But enough of me ranting, here's chap 13. Hope you like it. **

**I don't own transformers.**

My head pounded like rock concert. Or maybe it just felt like a pound of rocks.

Never. Never again.

I'm staying the hell away from alcohol from here on out.

A dull thrumming noise surrounded me; my bed vibrated slightly.

Hold on. I don't remember falling asleep in a bed.

Heck, I don't even remember falling asleep.

I cracked one eye open; dull grey metal greeted me.

Where was I?

"Look out, big pothole ahead." Someone said.

Suddenly my bed jolted and bounced slightly. My eyes flew open and I sat upright quickly. A little too quickly apparently because my vision swam and nausea gripped me for a moment. I groaned and lay back down.

"Ah, she lives." It was Lola.

I turned to the sound of her voice and saw her and Zig-zag smiling at me from…Orion's front seat? Turning my head to fully view my surroundings, I realized that I was on a bunk in Orion's small sleeper cabin.

Huh, I didn't even know he had a sleeper cabin.

"Nice to see you bright-eyed and bushy-tailed." Ziggy grinned.

"Shut up." I growled.

"Sorry you couldn't sleep longer," Lola said. "But these roads aren't the best. I'm amazed you'd managed to sleep this long."

"Alaska: the land that highway maintenance forgot." Ziggy said.

"What time is it?" I asked.

"11:43 a.m." Lola said.

Groaning, I sat up, _slowly_ this time, clutching my head. "What'd I miss?"

"Well, after Orion brought you back, we hauled you into the motel, and let you sleep until maybe five in the morning. That's when we decided to head out. We tried waking you up but you were still dead to the world. So we hauled you back into Orion's cab and left you on the bunk. And we've been driving ever since." Ziggy concluded.

"I slept through all that?" I asked.

"Val, you could've slept through an atomic blast, you were _that _out of it." Lola said.

I gripped my head as another skull-splitting wave of pain arrived. "Gah, remind me _never_ to drink again."

"Why? You're hysterical when you're hung-over." Ziggy said.

Lola smacked the back of his head.

"Is there someplace we can stop?" I asked. "I'm in desperate need of fresh air."

Wordlessly, Orion pulled off to a side road. We traveled down it for a few moments, the rocky path making me bounce up and down like a pogo stick and making feel as sick as a dog. The road led to what looked to be a small, empty picnic area by a glistening lake. Orion rumbled to a stop and I scrambled out. I sat down on one of the rickety tables and placed my head between my knees, breathing deeply and trying not to upchuck. Hearing Orion transform, I glanced up and saw him walking toward the lake.

After a few more moments the pain in my head went down from excruciating to just agonizing. I leaned back against the table, taking in my surroundings. It was warm, and when I say warm, I mean like maybe mid-sixties. Which, for Alaska, is probably a heat wave. There were several small trails that led into the woods surrounding the area. It seemed kind of odd to have a picnic area in the middle of nowhere. I asked Ziggy about it.

"We're going through a state park." He replied. "There are picnic joints all over the place."

"Isn't ninety percent of Alaska state or national park?" I asked.

Ziggy just shrugged.

"You feeling any better?" Lola asked.

I rubbed my forehead. "I will once I get rid of this god-awful headache."

"Well there's a lake that you can jump in." she pointed out.

I snorted and rolled my eyes. But Lola had a point. I had only ever been drunk, and consequently hung-over, once before. Painkillers had no effect, so out of desperation I drove a few miles out of Seattle and jumped into Puget Sound…in October, with Lola and Zig-zag taking pictures and laughing their asses off all the while. The pain had intensified for a few seconds, then to my surprise it all but faded away completely, the cold water shocking away all hangover symptoms. I didn't know if fresh water would work as well as salt, but seeing as this was Alaska, I'm sure that water was plenty cold. Eyeing the water, I glanced at Orion who was walking along the shoreline.

Was it just me, or was he more quiet than usual?

I nodded in his direction. "What's got his tires in a twist?"

Ziggy let out a snort and quickly clapped his hand over his mouth to smother his laughter.

Lola bit her lip to keep from smiling. "You mean, you don't remember?" she asked.

"Remember what?" I couldn't remember squat from last night.

Zig-zag was doubled over with silent laughter.

I frowned. "Alright, start talking, what the hell did I do last night? Streak naked through town singing _I'm Sexy and I Know It_?"

"No, thank god. I would've killed you if you had." Lola smiled.

"Then what the hell did I do?" I demanded.

Lola was about to answer when Ziggy started singing, "_Val and Orion sitting in a tree, k-i-s-s-i-n-g. First comes love then comes marriage then comes freaky cyborg babies in the baby carriage._"

"Zig-zag what the hell—" And then it hit me like a ton of bricks. A ton of bricks covered in pointy, rusty nails. A ton of bricks covered in pointy, rusty nails and attached to a giant grenade.

"Oh. My. God." I stared straight ahead in horror and humiliation.

I had kissed Orion.

What the hell had I been thinking?

What the hell must he be thinking?

That's it; I was never touching another drop of alcohol ever again.

I looked up weakly at Lola, who was staring sympathetically at me, and Zig-zag, who was singing his rendition of _I Kissed a Girl_ only he changed the lyrics to _I Kissed a Bot_.

"I kissed Orion." I croaked.

Lola nodded her head. "Yep."

I pinched the bridge of my nose. "How do you two know what happened?"

"I guess Orion's the type of guy to kiss and tell." Zig-zag laughed. Lola proceeded to smack upside the head again.

"He told us after he dropped you off at the motel." Lola explained. "He, uh, wanted to know what a kiss meant in our culture; if it meant the same thing as his."

"What did you tell him?" I asked weakly.

"That a kiss was an affectionate gesture that occurred between individuals who were usually close to each other."

"And what did he say?" Though I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer.

"He said it meant just about the same thing on his planet." Lola said, looking incredibly awkward. Ziggy was still laughing his ass off in the background.

I groaned and banged my head into my hands, which did nothing to help my headache. Right now, though, I didn't give a rat's ass about my head. It'd gotten me into this mess in the first place. Right now I wanted to just crawl under a rock and live out the rest of my days there. I had smooched the amnesiac leader of an alien race. And I'm sure it hadn't looked as nearly as glamorous as a Katy Perry music video. I snorted at the thought.

"I can't imagine what he must think of me." I grumbled.

Lola sat down beside me. "He was a little more concerned with _why_ you'd decided to get drunk."

I stared at her for a moment before it dawned on me. "Peschy's words."

Lola grimaced at the name. "Yeah, those. Val, how could you possibly believe him?"

"I don't know, I guess he just go into my head." I sighed.

"Seriously Val," Ziggy said, his laughter dying down. "After all we've been through, after all the skills you've gained you believe some nutcase's words that you're supposed to die. I mean, why would Gaea give you all those powers if she planned to off you?"

He had a point. And now I felt like an idiot for believing Peschy, even the slightest. "I'm sorry guys. I guess I was just super tired and strung out on adrenaline and anxiety that I was making mountains out of molehills."

"Damn right you were." Ziggy nodded, acting tough even though his eyes were filled with relief.

Lola wrapped her arm around my shoulders and gave me a half hug. "It's ok. Even you are entitled to an emotional breakdown every once in a while. Besides, it was hysterical listening to Orion talk about how you acted when he found you."

"Speaking of," I looked back at Orion on the shore. "I think I owe someone an apology. So if you'll excuse me." I got up and started walking toward the lake.

"Remember, no PDA!" Ziggy called.

I heard Lola smack him again.

As I walked toward Orion, I thought desperately for something to say. _Hey, sorry I tried snogging you last night, _probably wasn't the best conversation starter. My mind was running on empty. I came to a stop beside his leg. He still stared off across the lake.

Alright Val, use whatever tiny brain cells you have left and think of something to say.

"It uh sure is a pretty view."

Idiot.

Orion still gazed at the lake.

Great, well might as well just get it over with. Just rip it off fast like a band aid or duct tape. Try to play it cool.

"I-am-so-sorry-for-kissing-you-the-other-night-I-was-drunk-off-my-ass-but-you-already-know-that-so-I-guess-that-doesn't-matter-But-you-should-know-that-I-only-did-that-because-I-wanted-you-to-stop-talking-and-that-the-kiss-does-not-mean-that-I-am-attracted-to-you-Not-that-there-isn't-anything-attractive-about-you-I'm-sure-by-Cybertronian-standards-you're-quite-the-looker-I-mean-even-by-human-standards-you're-not-bad-looking-you-know-besides-being-a-giant-alien-robot-Bu- that-doesn't-matter-because-that-kiss-meant-nothing." I inhaled deeply, my lungs were screaming for air. I may have said it a little too quickly.

Orion looked at me with a completely bewildered expression.

So much for playing it cool.

"Val," Orion said slowly. "I am not upset about the kiss. A bit confused, but not upset."

"You're not mad?" I asked.

He shook his head. "No."

"Then what the hell was with the silent treatment?"

"Though I'm not familiar with alcohol, I believe it shares similar traits to high-grade energon, which can easily intoxicate my kind. I assumed the aftereffects of alcohol are also like high-grade and I did not wish to disturb you while you were "hung-over." And I was afraid my speaking would bring back awkward memories of the night before." Orion explained.

"Well you don't have to worry about that." I sighed. "The memories have already come back full force, with a little help from Zig-zag's singing. As for the hung-over part," I glanced at the lake. "I plan on fixing that soon."

"How so?" Orion asked.

"With a little help from this lake." I scanned the shoreline. "Hmm, I'm going to need a high place to jump off of; I need the hit the water all at once." I spotted an outcropping of rock, maybe eight feet tall, a few yards down the beach. "Bingo." I started walking toward it.

Orion trailed behind me. "How will jumping into the lake improve your condition? If anything the cold temperatures would be counterproductive."

"Says you."

I eyed the rocks, looking for a handhold. I reached up but then stopped and looked down at my clothes. They'd only drag me down, and I really didn't want to deal with an entirely soaked wardrobe again. Sitting down, I shucked off my shoes and socks then my jacket. My hands paused at the hem of my shirt. Maybe I should keep my shirt and pants on for modesty sake.

Nah, I doubted Orion cared or knew that much about human anatomy. So off went the shirt and jeans followed soon after. Dressed only in matching plain black bra and underwear, I scaled the rocks. I stretched a bit when I reached the top, working out the kinks in my muscles.

"You cannot be serious." Orion shook his head at my antics.

I stuck my tongue out at him then walked to the edge. Gazing down at the water, I decided that feet-first was the safest way to go; the water looked deep enough, but I didn't want to take any chances. I shut my eyes and took several deep breaths, my headache still pounding. After the fourth breath I took a step forward and fell into the waiting waters.

It felt like thousands of needles were piercing my flesh as I plunged into the icy liquid. The pain in my head intensified astoundingly. A scream tore from my lips only to become dozens of air bubbles in the water. A few seconds later the pain began to subside. I kicked toward the surface.

I gasped as I broke the water, sunlight glinting in my eyes. Looking to the shore, I saw Orion watching me, shaking his head.

I waved at him. "Come in, the water's great!" It was freezing cold, but it sure was refreshing.

"You're insane." Orion called.

"We've already established that!" I yelled back.

I did a few backstrokes and front-crawls then once my all hangover signs seemed to have disappeared I swam back to shore. I was wading toward the beach when Orion came over and plucked me up.

"You make it very hard for me to look after your wellbeing when you yourself do not put too much care into it." He sighed.

"Hey, I've managed to last this long." I flicked some water droplets at his face.

He frowned. "That was rude."

I flicked more water at him. "Oh yeah? What are you going to do about it?"

Apparently those were the wrong words to say.

A mischievous glint appeared in Orion's eyes and the next thing I knew I was sailing through the air and landing back in the lake.

Spluttering I resurfaced. "Jerk!"

I swam back to shore only to be picked up and tossed into the water again.

Now who was being rude?

"Has she turned blue yet?" Lola called, sitting on the rocky outcrop.

I swam over and looked up at her. She sat on the edge, feet dangling.

"Why don't you come in and try the water for yourself." I called.

Lola shook her head. "No thanks, doing stupid, impulsive things is your gig."

I glowered at her. Then a thought crossed my mind. I hid my smirk as a tingle spread over my back.

"Val," Lola asked, eyeing me nervously. "What are you doing?"

With a flap of wings I burst out of the water. Lola scrambled back but not fast enough. I grabbed her and dragged her down into the water.

Lola came up coughing and shrieking. "Val you idiot!" She splashed me. I splashed back.

From the shore we could hear Zig-zag roaring with laughter.

Lola glanced my way. "He seems to be enjoying this a little too much, don't you think?"

I grinned then waved my hand. "Hey, Orion."

He got the message and began to corner Ziggy.

Ziggy backed up against the rocks. "Whoa, whoa now. Hold it, I said HOLD IT! I've got a lot of technical equipment and not all of it is waterproof. So I'd appreciate it if you'd let me put it aside before you chuck me."

Orion paused for a moment.

Zig-zag dumped his backpack beside my pile of clothes. Then he proceeded to empty his pockets of the various knick-knacks he had stored there.

"Come on already!" Lola yelled.

Ziggy patted himself down, kicked off his shoes, and then gave Orion the thumbs up. "Throw me with dignity, please."

Orion scooped him up and tossed him to where we were swimming.

Ziggy flailed in the water for a moment, splashing Lola and me. When he realized he wasn't drowning, he glanced sheepishly at us. "So uh what do we do now?"

Lola and I shared. "Attack!"

Ziggy screamed and took off as fast as he could go. And seeing as he could barely doggy paddle; fast wasn't really that fast. Orion watched and laughed from the shore. We rough-housed for several more minutes, taking turns to gang up on each other.

It was when we were taking a breather, treading water near the rocks, that I heard it. A low buzz in the distance but growing louder and louder by the second. I turned to look at Orion and saw him staring at the sky. I started to swim to him but he shook his head and pointed to the rocks.

"Hide there!" he called.

I didn't want to but Lola and Ziggy grabbed my arms and dragged me the rocks. We ducked against the crevices; only the tops of our heads visible. I watched as Orion's arm changed into a blade. The buzzing got louder. My gut was screaming at me to get to Orion. I should be standing beside him, battling whatever the heck was coming.

The buzzing intensified to the point where it was starting to hurt our ears. If it was that bad for us, it was ten times worse for Orion. He had one hand pressed against his head, grimacing in pain. As the sound got louder, he hunched over, eyes having trouble focusing on anything. I tried to swim but Lola and Ziggy held on tightly.

Then with a screech of tires, several large SUVs appeared. From seemingly nowhere, two helicopters circled above. My heart stopped when I saw one of the helicopter doors open to reveal one of the leather clad M.E.C.H lackeys. He aimed a gun at Orion, who was still disoriented from the sound. I opened my mouth to call out but Ziggy clapped his hand over my mouth. The M.E.C.H agent fired. A large electrical device hit Orion, sending a shock through him that he fell to his knees. Another device was fired. Orion was knocked out completely. He fell to the ground with a loud thud. I screamed into Ziggy's hand.

One of the helicopters landed. Out stepped a tall, light haired man with a scarred face. Whether it was because he was the only one not wearing a mask, or simply because I could sense the pure malice coming off from him, I knew that man was Silas. Hatred coiled through me. That man was a monster like Peschy. No, he was worse than Peschy. And right then there was nothing more I wanted to do than make Silas suffer for all the pain he had ever caused and planned to cause.

Silas strode over to Orion's still form and smirked down at him. He signaled to his men. "Haul him out."

As his men began to tie up Orion, Silas scanned the surrounding area, no doubt looking for us. We sank further amongst the rocks, hoping they wouldn't spot our stuff, or worse, us. I slammed my eyes shut; I couldn't bear to watch them take Orion away, like some wild game animal. I wanted to summon the power of a spirit, any spirit, and unleash it upon them. But some logic still controlled my brain and I knew it wouldn't do Orion any good if we were caught now.

Several more minutes passed then the rumble of engines, both helicopter and SUV, echoed across the lake. We waited until the sound died away. Then we waited some more. After what felt like an hour, we slowly emerged from our hiding spot and swam to the shore.

I ran to the spot where Orion had fallen, but nothing, not even the smallest scrap of metal remained. All there was were faint drag marks in the sand, mocking me.

"Those SUVs may be heavy duty," Ziggy said, coming to stand beside me. "But they can't go far dragging Orion behind them. My guess is they must have a base of some sort not far from here. No more than ten miles."

"We going after them?" Lola asked.

I nodded, glaring in the direction of the drag marks. Rage seemed to make the air around me pop and fizzle. I clenched and unclenched my hands as power ran through my veins. I had almost lost Lola and Zig-zag, I sure as hell wasn't going to lose Orion. These M.E.C.H bastards were going to feel what it's like to be on the receiving end of a _Spiritus_' wrath. We were going to save Orion.

Even if I had to tear their base apart with my bare hands.

**Ooh Val is pissed now. I'd be too if everyone I cared about kept getting kidnapped (or would it be botnapped since it's Orion?). **

**Reviews? Please?**


	14. Close Call and a Flood of Memories

**A/N: Didn't want to leave all of you waiting for long. So here's chapter 14! Hope you like. **

**I don't own transformers.**

I glared at the mountainside. Several hundred feet of rock separated us from the inside of M.E.C.H. headquarters. If looks could kill that mountain would be nothing more than a sand pit. Unfortunately super-powered laser vision was not one of my gifts. And the mountain seemed to know it. I swear it was mocking me. _Go ahead, Val, do your worst,_ it seemed to say.

Oh bring it on Mt. Evil. Bring it on.

"Another patrol!" Lola whispered frantically.

We ducked down into our hiding spot as an SUV rumbled by.

It had taken only a few hours to track M.E.C.H. down. Now the only problem was getting in. From what we'd seen, we thought that they're using an abandoned mine. There was one large main entrance that led into the mountain, but that was heavily guarded by huge steel doors and about two dozen armed men. There was a second smaller entrance several hundred yards away, but that was also dressed to the nines with M.E.C.H. leather-heads. As much as I would've loved to have gone _Carrie_ on their egomaniacal asses, it would've attracted too much attention. We needed to get inside before I could start bashing heads.

As they say, third time's the charm. Sneaking further along the mountain we found a third even smaller entrance, glorified mineshaft really. Besides a patrol that came around every fifteen minutes, there were exactly three guards stationed here. Easy pickings for me.

"Alright, what's the plan?" Ziggy asked once the patrol had passed.

"We take out those guards, sneak inside, and rescue Orion, and we beat the shit out of anyone who gets in our way." I said.

"Ok, that plan just sucks." Ziggy said.

"Got any better ideas?" I asked.

Ziggy puffed up his chest. "As a matter of fact I do. We lure those guards out here. You can beat the crap out of them. Then we take their uniforms and wait for a shift change and we sneak inside. That way we don't attract as much attention."

"We might not have time to wait for a shift change, by then Orion could be nothing more than scrap metal!" I said.

"You have something better?" Zig-zag snapped.

I opened my mouth but couldn't think of anything.

"I think I'm going to side with Ziggy here." Lola said.

I sighed, "Fine."

We peeked out at where the guards were stationed.

"Now the question is: how do we get those guys over here without them sending a whole platoon of M.E.C.H. soldiers after us?" Lola said.

My right hip tingled. I lifted my shirt and saw the spider web tattoo there, minus the spider. "I think Anansi has that taken care of."

Lola and Zig-zag looked at me. "Huh?"

"What the hell was that?" a voice said. It was one of the guards.

"How the hell would I know?" said another.

There was a rustle of branches.

"There it is again." Said the third

"After it!"

Three sets of footsteps echoed through the forest getting closer to us. Suddenly there were muffled screams and curses. Then silence. We glanced at each other then slowly crept to where we'd heard the guards. We looked around but saw nothing except their guns on the ground. Lola tugged on my arm; I looked at her and saw her pointing and looking up, mouth agape. I turned my head upward.

The guards where hanging high in the tree, bound in cocoons of thick spider silk. Perched high on the branches was spider, a _huge_ spider. I was amazed the tree managed to hold its weight. Ziggy, drawn by our stares, looked up. He saw the guards then took one look at the giant creepy-crawly and promptly passed out. Ziggy had a fear of anything that had more than four legs and seeing a spider bigger than a pickup was probably a little too much for him.

Anansi slowly lowered the men to the ground. They were unconscious. This spider practically gift-wrapped them for us.

I turned to Anansi with raised eyebrows. "Wow. You're good."

It seemed to preen at the comment.

With the help of Anansi, Lola and I, Ziggy was still unconscious and right then we thought it would be better for him to remain that way, removed the webbing and took off the guards uniforms. It was weird seeing them without their masks. One had a dimple on his chin; another had a scar over his lips. With their masks on they were nothing more than faceless monsters, now they had identities.

I shook my head to clear the thought. It didn't matter if we could see their faces; they were still the monsters that took Orion.

After we took off their uniforms, Anansi bound them up again, and strung them high in the tree. Then with a click of its pincers the spider dissolved. The tattoo reappeared on my hip.

We woke up Ziggy, who took a few minutes to assure that "the giant creepy spider of doom" was really gone. We started changing when we came to our first roadblock: Lola.

"Maybe we could stuff your shoes?" Ziggy suggested.

Lola shook her head in frustration. "It wouldn't matter if you put me on stilts; they'd still spot me from a mile away."

Zig-zag was tall and lanky. Though he was lacking in the muscle department; with his six-foot-one height he could easily pass as a guard. I wasn't bad myself. I was five-ten on an average day and with a little stuffing in the boots I could pass. It also helped that I didn't have much by way of a curvy body structure, "flat as a washboard" Ziggy would say, which may suck if I was dress shopping but right now it was an asset. But then there was Lola. She had been blessed with curves that made many women sigh with envy and many men sigh with longing. While her it may make her look great in a bikini, something I've always hated her for, her form was a handicap in this situation. That, and without heels Lola barely passed five-foot-five. Crud.

Ziggy tapped his chin, a contemplative look crossing over his features. Then he snapped his fingers. "I've got it!"

"Do tell." I said.

"I got it off of the first Star Wars movies, well technically it's the fourth movie but it was the first one they made—"

"Ziggy, get to the point." I warned.

"Right, right, well anyway, Luke, Han, and the crew were stuck aboard the Death Star and they needed to rescue Princess Lea, but they had to, like, go through the whole ship to get to the prison cells and they had Chewbacca who definitely could not fit into a storm trooper uniform."

"Ziggy." Lola sighed.

"I'm getting there! So what they did was: Luka and Han were disguised as storm troopers and they pretended to cuff Chewie and they took him to the prison cells. Whenever anybody asked they'd say that they'd captured him and were taking him to the cells. Nobody looked twice. And that's what we'll do. Lola will be our Chewbacca." Ziggy said proudly.

"Hey, I am not some giant, hairy man!" Lola said indignantly.

"That wasn't the point." Ziggy snapped.

I held up my hands before they could start fighting. "We get the point. It's a good idea. Let's go with it for now. Now let's hurry; we need to get back before the next patrol comes around."

We found a pair of cuffs and put them on Lola, but we gave her the key to hold. While Lola was instructing Ziggy on the proper way to hold the gun, I hid the third guard's clothes deep in the bushes. The back of my neck prickled and I stood up, sensing that I was being watched. There was flash of fur off to my left. Squinting, I saw a sleek, silver fox peering at me through the undergrowth. It blinked twice at me then disappeared, _literally. _

"Val, you ready?" Ziggy called.

"Yeah." I glanced back quickly at where the fox had been but saw nothing. I pulled the mask over my head and grabbed Lola's arm. "Let's do this."

We were exiting the forest just as the patrol pulled up. The men jumped out.

"What happened?" one demanded.

"Found this girl sneaking in the woods back there." Zig-zag said gruffly, giving Lola a shake. "We think she was part of the group that was with the robot."

"His name's Orion, you douche bag." Lola snarled. There was no lack of acting skill on her part.

"We still got one back there searching for more." Ziggy said. In case they were wondering about the missing third guard. "What should we do with this girl?"

The other guards walked out of earshot, talking into a radio. Several minutes passed during which we struggled not to show our nervousness. Lola chewed her lip; the fingers on Ziggy's left hand twitched a bit. Finally the guards stopped talking and walked back.

"This way," said one. "Silas wants to see the prisoner."

They led us through the small entrance; we had to duck to get in. The tunnel beyond was dim, lit only by security lights. I tried to keep track of where we were going but the tunnel took so many twists and turns that I soon lost track. Eventually the tunnel opened up to an even bigger passageway, large enough for vehicles to drive in. From there we were led into a large chamber filled with multiple walkways, large computer screens, and some technical equipment I was sure even Ziggy didn't know how to use. As we walked down one of the catwalks I caught a glimpse of something large, red, and blue lying on the floor. We'd found Orion. And standing on the walkway above him was Silas. We stopped just in front of him.

He walked up to Lola and smirked, two guards stood on either side of him. "And what do we have here?"

Lola let fly all the curse words she knew, mixing Portuguese with English. Lola was seriously pissed if she started cursing in Portuguese. I couldn't make out most of what she said, but from what I could tell it wasn't pretty. Silas simply waited for her to finish. It was several minutes before she stopped, panting for breath.

"You and your friends are more persistent than I expected." Silas said. "All this to save an alien robot. Still, such a shame."

He snapped his fingers and suddenly one of the guards slammed a gun into my back while another punched me in the gut. Winded, I sank to my knees. I looked over and saw Zig-zag and Lola in the same position. The guns were yanked from us and the masks were pulled from our faces. The guards twisted my arms behind my back then pulled me to my feet, dragging me to where Silas stood.

He smirked at me. "I do believe I have the pleasure of meeting Valerie Darby. How like your family you are to meddle into dangerous affairs. Your brother and mother were lucky to escape us once, but I'm afraid you will not share their fortune."

I said nothing, not letting my shock be seen. I didn't know how he knew about my family, but I did know he was never going near them again.

"I am impressed, though, at how you managed to take out my men before. Though if it wasn't for that freak windstorm, you would not have escaped."

Still I said nothing, concentrating on the slow build up of power.

Silas smirked at my silence. "You're not quite as chatty today. Ah, you must be worried about Optimus. Well come take a look."

The guards dragged me to the edge of the catwalk. My heart almost stopped as I looked down. Orion lay on a giant metal slab; his arms and legs bound by metal clamps. He was alive; his eyes looked about the room, but they didn't seem to have much recognition in them, like he'd been drugged somehow. Then I saw his chest. It was ripped open, the beautiful red metal all twisted and torn. Right were his heart would be was a large ring with several tubes, like arteries, running into it. In the middle of the ring was an orb. It was the most beautiful thing I'd ever seen. It glowed bluish-white and seemed multi-faceted like a diamond. I couldn't stop staring at it. This was his heart. This was his _soul_.

I hadn't realized I'd been leaning over until one of the guards yanked me back painfully. I gave a yelp of surprise. Drawn by the sound, Orion looked at me. Recognition filled his eyes and he began to struggle against his bonds.

"Amazing isn't it?" Silas said, looking down at the orb. "You know, you arrived just in time to see us cut it out of him."

"No!" I gasped, struggling against the guards.

Silas grabbed my chin, holding my head still. "You are a very capable young woman Miss Darby. It would be a shame to kill you. I have a proposition: join M.E.C.H. and we will let your friends leave." He nodded toward Ziggy and Lola. "We could use someone like you in our ranks."

"Never." I snarled then spat at his face.

Silas raised his hand and smacked me. The blow so forceful my head jerked to the side. Below us Orion roared in outrage. Silas dragged me back to the edge. He gripped the back of my neck, forcing me to look down.

"Enjoy the show." He whispered into my ear. He motioned to one of his men. "Cut out his heart."

"No!" I struggled but to no avail.

A long rotary blade made its way to Orion's chest. It was aimed at one of the tubes connected to the orb ring. Orion tried to break free but the clamps held him down. He looked at me, blue eyes filled with fear.

"Val." He whispered.

Then the blade cut through one of the lines. Orion cried out in pain as blue liquid, energon, spilled from the tube.

I stared at the spreading energon then a scream of rage tore from my lips. Power like nothing I'd felt before surged through my body. My scream echoed through the mountain. And the mountain answered. The ground began to quake, rocks fell amongst guards, crushing some while others ran to avoid. The catwalks swayed. The guards holding me lost their grip and I lashed out at them, sending them and Silas flying.

I leapt off the walkway. The fifteen foot drop seemed like nothing as I landed perfectly. I ran to Orion and climbed onto his chest. More and more energon was spilling out. The orb started to flicker, Orion's eyes grew dimmer.

"You hang in there." I told him.

With a rush of warmth, the power of Asclepius flowed through me. I gripped the torn tube, concentrating on it. Nothing happened. I despaired for a moment; what would a Greek god know about Cybertronian biology? But I shook off the thought, this would work.

A snap of a gun being loaded drew my attention away. Looking up I saw Silas standing on the catwalk, one hand holding onto the swaying rail the other pointed a gun at my head.

His finger pressed against the trigger.

A massive tan blur slammed into him with a snarl. It was a mountain lion. A _huge_ mountain lion. It roared and swiped its paws at Silas. He managed to duck out of the way, firing several rounds at it. But the bullets passed _through_ it harmlessly. The whole room was filled with gigantic animals; great bears, hawks, falcons, wolves, and some creatures that looked like a strange fusion of different animals or animals and human. They all fell on the M.E.C.H. guards, tearing into them furiously but receiving no damage in return.

Silas yelled for a retreat and they fled. Chasing after them now were humans too. Dressed in various armor and war paint, screaming battle cries at the top of their lungs, I caught a glimpse of one of their faces; they had two different colored eyes. Others of my kind had come.

Warm liquid splashed over my hand, bringing my attention back to Orion. Cursing myself for being distracted, I once again concentrated on the cut tube. Orion's eyes had gone dark. The orb was growing dim.

"Come on, come on!" I snarled.

The mark on my left arm began to burn. Heat flood through me into Orion. We started to glow in a soft yellow light. Slowly, ever so slowly the energon started to flow back and the tube resealed itself. Yes! Come on, almost there.

The line healed entirely. Tears of relief rolled down from my cheeks. Vaguely I was aware of a crowd surrounding us, watching, but my attention was turned to the orb. Its light still fluttered like a confused bird.

I summoned what little healing power I had left, and ever so gently touched the orb.

_White, all white, and then I saw it coming towards me like rushing water: memories, thousands of them. They slammed into me, knocking me down, dragging me with them. I flailed, struggling to remain afloat as images that I'd never seen passed through my mind. It was no use; the current was too strong. I was being swept away. Soon I would no longer be me, just another memory. _

_A hand suddenly appeared, reaching for me. I grabbed hold of it. It was Orion, standing in the torrent but not being swept away. His arms enclosed around me, holding me steady as the current flew past. _

_That's when I noticed the change in size. We were in proportion to each other. My head rested against his chest, our fingers, metal and flesh, intertwined. I looked up at his face, but he seemed just as confused as I was. We said nothing though. Instead we watched the memories flash by us. _

_I saw a beautiful metal city, sparkling in an alien sun. Then another imaged appeared; the same city only in smoking ruins, twisted metal bodies laying everywhere. My grip on Orion's hand tightened. _

_More images flashed by, most too quickly for me to see. I caught a glimpse of stars, a spaceship. Then more familiar images, ones from earth. A desert, the arctic, and forests. Faces also appeared. From the barrage I glimpsed Alpha Trion and Cliffjumper then others; a sleek blue bot, a bulky green one, a bright yellow bot, and a grouchy looking orange and white one. _

_I saw human faces too. A cranky looking African American man, an Asian girl, a young boy. An image of a woman and boy appeared; I let out a gasp as I recognized them: Mom and Jack, older but still familiar. _

_Then a dark cavernous image appeared, lit by an ominous violet glow. A large glowing ball of violet fire, dark eyes looking back. Then a flash of bluish-white light and the memories faded away. _

_Orion's hand trembled in mine. I looked up to see his eyes shut, like he was trying to hold back tears. I reached up and laid a hand against his metal cheek. His eyes opened full of sadness and loss but full of hope as well…and something else I couldn't recognize. _

_I smiled at him. "It'll be alright, we'll get through this together." _

_I wrapped my arms tightly around him. It felt a little strange hugging a metal body, but it was warm and full of life and that was what mattered. Orion's arms slowly tightened around me, pulling me closer to him. _

"_We will get through this," he echoed. "Together." _

_I felt my eyelids droop. Orion's chest seemed to grow even warmer, lulling me further into sleep. _

_With a sigh, I closed my eyes and let oblivion take me. _

_**Yay Orion has his memories back, or at least most of them. **_

_**So reveiws? Please?**_


	15. Hello Optimus Prime

**A/N: Alright the next chapter or two will be kind of slow, though I think Val and the gang deserve a little down time after everything they've been through. Anyway here's the chapter, hope you like. **

**I don't own transformers.**

I sighed, rubbing my face against a soft pillow, pulling covers more tightly around me.

Hold on a second.

Why was I in a bed?

And how did I get there?

Slowly my brain hit the rewind button, going over the last events that I remembered. Orion was taken by M.E.C.H.; we went to rescue him but were caught. I remembered the blade cutting the line in Orion's chest. I remembered struggling and finally managing to heal it. I remembered the strange images that I saw with Orion. But what else? There was a small detail that I was missing and it was driving me nuts.

Then it hit me: the others.

There were other _Spiritus Potens_ that attacked the M.E.C.H. agents. But what did they do after that? Were they the ones that put me here? And what about Zig-zag, Lola, and Orion?

There was a creak of floor not far from me. I stiffened, eyes still shut. A door opened nearby, no doubt the door to the room I was in now. Someone stepped inside.

I sat up quickly, prepared for anything.

_Thud_

"Ow!" I fell back into the bed rubbing my forehead and glaring at what looked to be the wooden underside of a bunk bed above me.

Someone chuckled, "I would be a bit more careful when getting out of bed, there's not much room."

I looked to my left to see a woman smiling down at me. She looked Native American, maybe in her mid to late sixties. She had laugh-lines around her mouth and her eyes crinkled a bit when she smiled. Speaking of her eyes, one was an earthy brown and the other was a forest green. She was like me.

But that didn't count for squat if she wanted to hurt me and my friends.

"Where am I?" I demanded. "Where are my friends?"

She held up her hands, patient smile still on her face. "Peace, peace, they are safe, you are safe. You are among friends."

"I'll be the judge of that." I said, sitting up slowly.

The woman nodded her head. "You are right to be wary after what you have been through. But please, allow me to introduce myself and explain the situation."

"Go ahead."

"My name is Ella Longwing, though most around here call me Granma El. I am like you, I can see into the other side, as can many of us here."

"Where is here? And who is us?" I asked.

"We are a traveling group of seers. Originally we consisted of members from tribes of North and some of South America, but over the years we have accepted others from different races. We provide refuge and training for seers."

"And just how many people do you have in this little traveling band?" I asked.

"The numbers are in constant flux but I believe we average just over one-hundred members."

"Over one-hundred!" I said, astounded.

"But only about half are gifted with the sight, others are family or descendants who have stayed on to help."

But still they had to have at least fifty_ Spiritus_ in their ranks. I'd never met so much as one other like me in all my life and now I'd stumbled upon of small townful.

Ella smiled at my shocked expression. "I can see I've impressed you."

"So many." I whispered.

"There is safety in numbers for our kind." She said.

I was about to ask something else when my stomach decided to do an impression of a grizzly bear and growl so loudly that for a second I thought there might actually be a bear in the room.

I gave an awkward laugh. "Sorry about that."

Ella chuckled. "I was just starting to make pancakes. If you want, you can ask your questions over breakfast."

"Seeing as my stomach seems to be digesting itself, I'll take you up on that offer."

I followed her out of my small room into the kitchen. Well, the kitchen/living room/dining room area, this place was really _small_ and narrow for some reason. What kind of house was this? As I walked I noticed that the floor seemed to almost bounce a little with each step. I noticed the table was bolted to the floor. And there was a curtain drawn at the other end.

"What kind of house is this?" I asked.

"The kind with wheels." Ella answered.

"Huh?"

Ella walked to the other end of the room and withdrew the curtain. I blinked as sunlight filtered in. A large windshield greeted me and two leather seats sat behind it. Something finally clicked in my head.

"Oh, we're in an RV." I said.

I looked out the window and saw several other RVs and a few pull along campers near us.

"We did say we were a traveling group." Ella said. "Now sit, you've slept all through the rest of the day yesterday, you must be hungry." She went to a griddle and a small bowl of batter that stood next to it and started making pancakes.

I sat down at the small table, staring out of the small window next to me. "So what brought you guys to Alaska?"

"For several months we all have had this feeling to go northwest; that we needed to be here for something. This isn't the first time we've been drawn somewhere. We go where our ancestors guide us. At first I didn't understand why we were going to Alaska but then it became clear yesterday."

"Me."

Ella nodded. "We've never seen that much power in one of our kind before."

"Power?" I snorted. "Please, I've just had a run of dumb luck."

"No you have great power. You have old blood in your veins and gods on your skin."

"Well I didn't choose any of that. The Earth goddess sort of forced them on me."

Ella turned to look at me. "You spoke with the Earth Mother? Directly?"

"Uh yeah."

A thoughtful look crossed her face. "I have only heard of one group of seers who could speak directly to the Mother, an ancient, powerful clan."

I snorted. "Darby doesn't exactly seem like a name fitting a powerful clan."

"Names can change over time." She set a plate full of pancakes in front of me and sat down opposite of me, gazing at my eyes. "One black, one white, yes I seem to remember something about that. What was it?"

She stared off into the distance, her thoughts somewhere else. I was about to dig into the pancakes when a hasty knock echoed from the front of the RV. A second later a girl rushed in. She looked to be about seventeen with bouncy blond curls. Her left eye was storm-cloud grey while her right was sky blue.

She saw me and her eyes widened in surprise then faded to relief. "Oh good, you're up."

"Lexie what's wrong?" Ella asked.

"I'm sorry to disturb ya'll." She said in a Texas twang. "But the robot guy just woke up."

"Orion? He's ok?" I asked.

Lexie nodded. "But I don't know about Double-A and the others."

"What?" I asked.

"Well while your alien buddy was out of it, they thought they might try repairing the damage those leather guys did. They were working on his chest when he woke up a few minutes ago. Needless to say the he freaked out, I guess I would too if I woke up and found a bunch of people I didn't know standing on my chest. Luckily your friends were there to calm him somewhat but he's been demanding to see you." She stopped to catch her breath.

"Crap, I should get over there before he rips the camp apart." I stood up.

"I'll come too." Ella said.

"Actually Granny E, you're needed someplace else." Lexie said. "Danny and Charles are at it again."

Ella gave a longwinded sigh. "Again?"

Lexie shrugged. "Hey, I ain't the one who decided to have the crazy Steelers fan and the crazy Ravens fan share a camper."

"What happened this time?" Ella asked.

"Didn't catch all of it, but apparently Charles made a less than polite comment about the Ravens' defense and next thing ya know Danny had an entire flock of monster crows and ravens flyin' after Charlie. We really gotta change the livin' arrangements." Lexie said.

"Very well," Ella sighed. "I'll see to those two. Lexie you'll show Val to her friends won't you?"

"No problem." Lexie said.

Ella wrapped the pancakes up in a paper towel and handed them to me. "I'm afraid that if you want to eat these they'll have to be plain. Your shoes are by the door."

I followed Lexie out, blinking in the morning sunshine. We walked in silence for a few moments; I munched on the pancakes, Lexie kept throwing glances my way.

"Are ya really as powerful as everyone's been sayin'?" Lexie blurted out.

"Uh."

Lexie continued on. "I heard ya made a whole mountain shake; almost made it come down. I wasn't part of the rescue team, I'm still a year too young, but I heard from Double-A and the others that ya pulled some seriously powerful stunt."

"I don't know what happened." I said truthfully. "I just got so angry and scared that something in me just snapped. I can't be the only one who could've done that, right?"

"Well, we all have some connection to the land, some more than others, but no one I've met has been able to do something like that. Not even Granny E and she's the oldest one here!"

"Great," I sighed. "So I'm a freak even among my own kind."

Lexie clapped my shoulder. "Aw don't think like that. If you're gonna be stuck with this power ya might as well have a cool power to go with it. Wish I could do something like that. Oh, I didn't properly introduce myself. Alexandra Toore, but everybody just calls me Lexie." She held out her hand.

I shook it. "Valerie Darby, but everybody just calls me Val."

Lexie grinned. "Nice to meet ya."

"So this is quite the operation you have running here." I said, glancing at the campers we passed.

Lexie laughed. "Yeah, I like to think that we're kinda like a Hogwarts on wheels."

"It must get tiring though, traveling so much." I said.

"Nah, besides we can't stay in one place for too long or we attract too much attention, that and we're always on the lookout for others in need of help. That's how they found me."

"Oh?"

"Yeah, I must've gotten my powers from my Ma's side, but she died giving birth to me so I was raised by my Dad and his parents; my Dad was in the military. He died when I was eight, it was just after that my powers developed, I don't know whether it was from the stress or if it was that I was the right age."

"I'm sorry." I said.

Lexie shrugged. "I'm fine now, still hurts every once in a while. Anyway, I lived with my grandparents after that. But they were kind of super-religious, especially my grandma. When I started seeing things that weren't there she thought I'd been possessed by the devil, even got a preacher to try an exorcism on me."

"What?" I gasped. "What'd you do?"

"I sorta just sat there." Lexie laughed a bit. "Now that I think back on it, it's kinda funny. Still, I couldn't really stay with them, they just didn't understand. So at the age of ten I ran away. Didn't know where I was going, but I guess something was guiding me. Next thing I know I run into this group in Oklahoma. They took me in right away and I never left."

"Wow."

"Yeah," Lexie suddenly looked sheepish. "Sorry about that, didn't mean to give you my whole life story there."

"It's ok, I've been through it too." I said. "I've had to live away from my mother and brother, and my father died when I was seventeen. I've been on my own since that, well, except for Ziggy and Lola of course." It felt strange telling this so easily, but also a relief to tell it to someone who understood.

"And you never met another _Spiritus_? You should've come lookin' for us, or we should've come lookin' for you."

I shrugged. "I've done pretty well on my own."

"I've heard that. Is it true you've got a bunch of contracts with gods?"

"I've got a few." I admitted, feeling a bit embarrassed. "Actually, I think only Bast and Asclepius are technically gods." I lifted my left pant leg to show Lexie the cat tattoo and then lifted my left sleeve to show her the mark on my left bicep.

She stared at my arm with confusion for a moment. "I don't see any mark."

"What?" I twisted to look. Sure enough my skin was bare. "Where'd it go?" Now that I thought about it, there seemed to be one less presence at the back of my mind.

"I heard you used a lot of power to save your alien friend. My guess is you must have used so much that it burnt out the contract." Lexie said. "That happens sometimes. But I think in a year or so you'll be able to summon him again."

"Oh." was all I said. I felt a little sad at the loss of Asclepius.

I glanced around at all the campers, man this place was big. "So how exactly are things run around here? I mean, how can you afford to live like this. The fuel alone must be pretty pricey."

"Well we take jobs at the towns in the area. Simple stuff like working as trash collectors or working at fast food joints. Like I said we don't stay for very long, a few weeks, maybe a month. The longest I think we've ever stayed at one place was just over two months." Lexie said. "It isn't hard to come by food. We grow most of our own stuff. Actually it's mostly Hannah that does the growing, she's real good with plants and she's one of the few who has a contract with a god. It's that goddess Demeter, the one of the harvest or something like that. Every time we move Hannah just plants a new garden and in a day or so we've got a ton of veggies and fruit."

"Wow."

"Yep." Lexie said. "All the kids are homeschooled. But when we get around eighteen we're encouraged to go to college and explore on our own. A lot of us end up coming back after a few years. And we—aw crap."

Lexie came to a halt, staring at a line of trees in front of us. Looks like we hit a dead end.

"Crap, I did it again." Lexie sighed. "I think we were supposed to make a left at that Rockwood back there. Sorry, I have the worst sense of direction."

We turned around and retraced our steps.

"That's ok. Besides, I enjoy hearing you talk about what it's like here." I said.

"Yeah, but Double-A is always ragging on me about how I get lost so easily. If he finds out about this, I won't hear the end of it."

"I won't tell." I said. "Uh, but who's Double-A, and why is he called that?"

Lexie laughed. "He's our master mechanic, a genius really. He does some amazing work on the engines around here, even installed these super-light solar panels on the tops of most of the vehicles. These things probably get better gas mileage than the cars they got out now."

"But why's he called Double-A?"

"Well, we couldn't call him AA 'cause then everyone would think he's an alcoholic. See his name is Alan Allen."

"Alan Allen." I repeated.

Lexie nodded looking serious. "But if ya value your life call him Double-A. He's got a bad temper and likes throwing things, mainly wrenches. But he's a dang brilliant mechanic."

Brilliant mechanic? Sounded like someone who might get along with Zig-zag.

But the loud argument up ahead told me otherwise.

"That ain't gonna work you bloody idiot!" someone yelled in a harsh Irish accent. "You might as well patch him up with duck tape. Now if you don't mind, you'll move your skinny albino ass out of me way so I can do my job, you damn Yankee."

"Listen Bono," I heard Ziggy snarl. "You can't weld there or you'll damage all that wiring. Why don't you go search for leprechauns while someone who has a little more technical knowledge handle the situation."

"Why you little," the voice growled.

"Hey!" Ziggy yelled. "That almost hit me!"

"That was the point."

"Well quit it—hey I said quit throwing wrenches you damn side-burn Neanderthal!"

"Will you both please knock it off!" It was Lola.

"No!" came the reply from both.

"Oh boy." I muttered.

"They've been like that all morning." Lexie said.

We sped up and rounded a corner. I saw Ziggy in a standoff with a tall, bulky guy aka Double-A. He was maybe twenty-five and had long black hair pulled back in a ponytail. His eyes were electric green and steel grey. Lola stood between them looking frustrated.

I was about to call out to them when I noticed a familiar blue and red form leaning up against a massive pine tree watching Zig-zag and Double-A fight. I came to a halt, staring at him. For a second I thought I was looking at a stranger. I mean, physically he didn't look any different, except for the damage on his chest. But there was something about his air. He seemed older, his eyes sadder. His shoulders looked like they were carrying the weight of the world on them. This wasn't Orion. This was Optimus Prime. I watched him for a moment, afraid to make my presence known. How different was he from Orion? For some reason that thought scared me.

"We're here." Lexie announced.

Orion—Optimus turned to face me. I looked down at my shoes, afraid of what I'd see.

"Val." He said.

"H-hey big guy. How's it going?" I asked, still staring at my feet.

"Val, look at me."

I shook my head. Childish I know, but I just couldn't seem to do it.

There was a sound of creaking metal, Optimus grunted with effort.

"Oy, what the bloody hell do you think you're doing? Sit back down; you're in no condition to be standing." Double-A yelled.

A shadow fell over me. A finger tucked under my chin, turning my face upward. Gentle blue eyes stared down at me.

"Val, I am still me." He said softly.

Looking at him, I realized he was right. Under all that burden Orion was still there. There was just more to him now.

"Yeah, you're still you." I laughed weakly.

"That's wonderful," Double-A grumbled. "So now that we know for sure that the guy is who he says he is, will you please move your arse back to where it was?"

Optimus sat back down with a thud, too tired to argue with the mad mechanic.

"Hey Val." Lola said.

"How are you two doing?" I asked them.

"We're just peachy." Lola said. "Managed to catch a few hours sleep. Then I get dragged out here because those two were arguing over how to fix Orion." she pointed at Zig-zag and Double-A. "Then Orion wakes up and flips out. So we had to calm him down. Though it was kind of funny watching him knock Double-A into the bushes."

"Hmpf!" Double-A huffed indignantly.

"My apologies, once again, for causing you any harm." Optimus said.

"Why should he be complaining?" Ziggy said. "He gets to fix up an alien robot."

"Yeah, but I don't want to get my head bashed in." Double-A retorted.

"You've had to put up with this the entire morning?" I asked Lola.

She nodded. "Believe me it was not a pretty picture."

"You should have woken me up." I said.

"Nah, you were totally drained." Lola replied.

Zig-zag and Double-A started shouting again, looking like they were going to start throwing punches.

"Alright, alright." Lexie clapped her hands. "Break time." She grabbed Double-A and started dragging him toward camp.

"What? No break. I've got a ton of mesh work that I need to do!" Double-A protested.

"If ya can't get along with others than ya don't get to work on the robot." Lexie said.

"That goes for you too, Ziggy." Lola latched onto his arm and pulled him away. "Come on, I'm in dire need of coffee."

The four of them left, despite protests from Double-A and Ziggy, leaving Optimus and me alone. I walked over to him and tapped on his leg. He stared down at me.

"Hi." I said.

"Hello." Optimus replied, looking a bit confused.

"I'm Val."

"Yes, I am aware of what your name is."

"I know, I just thought I should introduce myself to Optimus." I said.

He shook his head. "You are not making any sense."

"I usually don't. But just go with me for a moment." I held out my hand. "It's nice to meet you Optimus Prime."

Optimus stared at me; the longer he stared the more I felt like a dork. Then he gently picked me up, holding me so that I was sitting in his palm, my back resting against his curled fingers.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Valerie Darby." He said.

I grinned. "Alright, introductions over, now we can move on. So what do you think of our hosts?"

"They seem friendly enough." Optimus said. He chuckled lightly. "The one they call Double-A reminds me much of Ratchet." He went quiet at this.

"So you remember everything?" I asked.

"Most, there are still a few vague memories that I need to sort out." He said.

"So I guess you'll be contacting your fellow Autobots and going home?" I asked, feeling depressed as I said this.

"Not just yet."

"Why? You've got your memories back." I said.

Optimus nodded. "But I made a promise to look after you, and I intend to keep it."

I smiled. "Thanks."

Optimus only nodded, one of his knuckles ever so gently began to massage the spot between my shoulder blades. After a few moments my eyelids began to droop.

"You're gonna make me fall asleep." I warned.

"Did you not just wake up less than an hour ago?" Orion asked.

"Yep." I yawned. "And now I think I'll take a nap."

Optimus lifted me to his shoulder. "It is not the most comfortable place to sleep, but seeing as I cannot transform at the moment, it will have to do."

"You better not even think of transforming in your condition." I growled as I scrambled onto his shoulder. "This will suit me just fine."

I leaned my face against the side of his head, resting against the warm metal. "Thanks again." I yawned.

"It is I who should be thanking you, Val." Optimus murmured.

"How about we just call it even for now?" I offered, my eyes drifting shut.

"Very well." He said. "Rest now."

"Will do." I muttered, slipping into a peaceful slumber.

**And that's it for now. By the way, I'm having some trouble with my Doc Manager, it says that I've reached the maximum upload limit. So do I just remove some of the older chapters on there or is there something else I should do? Advice would be most welcome. Technology hates me : (. **


	16. Training and Babysitting

**Gah! Sorry for the delay, but its been a busy schedule between my new classes, and practice for pit orchestra for the school's upcoming musical. But enough of my excuses, here's chapter 16. It's filler and a bit fluffy. Next chapter will have a bit more action. Hope you like it. **

**I don't own transformers.**

A blur of black feathers was all the warning I had before a really angry, really _big_ looking raven swooped down on me. Bending backwards at an almost impossible angle, I managed to dodge those lethal looking talons. But it was close; I swear I could see each little grey wrinkle on that raven's feet. The bird flew off, most likely to begin another dive.

"Hey, watch where you send those things!" I yelled, "You don't get extra points for poking out my eyes!"

"Sorry about that!" a brunette with a buzz-cut, aka Danny, called. But still he sent the raven at me again.

This time I was more prepared. As the bird swooped in I jumped straight up, twisting in midair and slammed my feet into the birds back. It tumbled to the ground with a squawk then disappeared.

"Hey!" Danny yelled indignantly. "That was my last one."

"You're out." I said. "Next"

Danny trudged off to join the watching crowd.

After my little cat nap, Ella had arrived to speak with Optimus. Once they had gone through introductions and explanations, and Ella had assured Optimus that none of them would ever tell of his existence, Ella had asked if I would be willing to do some training with the others. They were curious about my powers and wanted to see them in action. Seeing as my social calendar wasn't exactly jam-packed, I agreed.

An hour later I met up with about a dozen or so _Spiritus _in a meadow a quarter mile away from camp. A small crowd of campers had gathered to watch. Even Optimus came despite complaints made by Double-A. The campers kept a bit of distance between themselves and Optimus, more out of nervousness than fear. They stared at him in wonder, that is, until my training started. Then their attention was riveted on little old me. They watched me avidly, like they'd never seen my fighting style before. But seeing as how the other _Spiritus_ attacked, I guess my way was a little unusual.

Most of the other _Spiritus_ had only simple animal spirits at their control. And most could not incorporate their spirit's abilities like I could. Instead they summoned the spirit fully, which was more powerful, but drained their energy quickly. I had gone through about seven and I was still thrumming. It seemed odd to the others that a _Spiritus_ would physically battle with a spirit. Odd, but effective seeing as I was beating the pants off these guys. I had to admit, this was kind of fun.

I could hear Zig-Zag and Lola cheering from the sidelines where they sat next to Optimus. Lexie and a small red-headed woman who looked to be my age came to stand in front of me.

"I guess it's our turn." Lexie said. "Oh, Val this is Hannah, Hannah this is Val."

"Hi." I said.

Hannah smiled. "Hello." She had one eye that was leaf-green colored and the other was flower-pink.

"Right, back to business." Lexie scrunched her brow in concentration. There was a flash of light then towering above me was a giant…

"Armadillo?" I asked, staring up at it.

"Don't ask." Lexie sighed. The armadillo reared up and roared.

I didn't even know armadillos could roar.

Heck, I didn't even know armadillos could make any sound at all.

The thing swatted at me with an armored paw. I dodged then leapt onto its foreleg, clambering onto its back. I was using both Bast and Anansi to help keep my balance. The armadillo struggled to reach around to grab me, but that armored shell did not make it the most flexible creature in the animal kingdom. As it bucked and snarled I leapt into the air, Valkyrie wings unfurling from my back. I flew circles around the armadillo's head, it swiped at me but I just flew higher.

I hovered for a moment then something yanked me down. I looked to find a vine wrapped firmly around my ankle. The vine sprouted from the ground at Hannah's feet. Wasn't she one of the few who had a contract with a god? And it looked like she didn't have to summon the spirit fully. Hannah made wheeling motions with her hands and the vine began to drag me back toward the ground. I flapped frantically, but I felt like a fish on a line. I pulled at the vines but that didn't help either. What I needed was a knife.

Before I even realized it, the sword appeared in my right hand. Bending around, I chopped the sword down on the vines. Hannah let out a cry as they dissolved. Oh crap, what if I'd hurt her? I swooped down, landing beside Hannah. She looked shaken, but otherwise ok.

"Are you alright?" I asked.

She nodded. "That just startled me a bit. Whatever it was you did."

"That was a very old form of Expulsion." Ella said coming to stand beside us.

"That was an Expulsion technique?" Lexie asked, letting her armadillo fade away. "I've never seen one like that."

Ella nodded. "As I said, it is a very ancient method, back when _Spiritus_ would physically enter battles with spirits. The Spiritus would channel their power into a weapon they formed with their mind. It's a very powerful technique, but also very dangerous. Now though, we use incantations and various tools to expel a spirit. Where did you learn that?"

I shrugged. "Just kind of on the fly, it comes kind of naturally to me I guess." I looked down at the sword in my hands. "It used to appear as a bat, but now it's a sword even if I think of the bat the sword appears."

Ella just nodded that calculating look in her eyes.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Nothing, at the moment. I just need to look into a few things first." She said. She turned to the crowd. "Training is over for now; I think we've bothered our guest enough."

The crowd dispersed, making their way back to camp. I wandered over to where Optimus, Lola, and Zig-zag were sitting.

"So did you enjoy the show?" I asked.

"I may not have been able to see everything that was going on, but what I could see was awesome." Lola said. Ziggy nodded in agreement.

"It was an impressive display." Optimus said. "I never would have imagined that humans could posses such unique abilities. Your kind are not nearly so defenseless against the Decepticons as we had originally thought."

I laughed. "Yeah I can just see it: a showdown between the supernatural and the extraterrestrial. Sounds like something off of the SyFy channel."

"So why'd you stop?" Ziggy asked. "I was hoping to see you totally trash Double-A."

"I think I might've spooked Ella a bit." I said.

"How so?" Lola asked.

I gestured to the sword still in my hands. "Apparently my Expulsion technique is a little outdated and dangerous."

"How is it dangerous?" Optimus asked.

I shrugged. "She wouldn't say. I think there's something about me and my ancestors that she knows but isn't telling."

I stared down at the sword, willing it to disappear. Instead it glowed bright. Something echoed in the back of my mind, calling me. Then just like the, the sword dispersed into nothing but mist.

"What was with that?" Ziggy asked.

"I think it had something to do with the Star Saber." I said. "We must be close."

"You got that right." Lola nodded. "I was asking around and it turns out were only a little more than seventy miles from the Gates of the Arctic. That's about a day's drive. Once Optimus is back in good condition."

"It would be quicker to groundbridge there." Optimus said.

"Groundbridge?" I asked.

"A technology we have back at base." Optimus explained. "It can transport us anywhere on this earth almost instantaneously so long as we have the coordinates."

Zig-zag stared slack-jawed at Optimus. "You have a teleportation device? I think I've just died and gone to heaven."

"So all we have to do is contact the other Autobots, and ask for a lift." Lola said. "I'm sure they'd be psyched to see you again."

My brother and mother would be there too. I wasn't sure whether I was excited or nervous about that aspect.

"Unfortunately I've lost the link to base." Optimus said. "It seems to be one of the few memories that have yet to return. And I cannot broadcast on an open channel without alerting the Decepticons to my presence."

"I think I might be able to help with that." Ziggy said pulling out his homemade zip-drive. I was amazed he'd managed to keep that thing intact for this long. "The data that I pilfered, I can use it to hide your message. It'll take a little while, and I'll have to swipe a laptop or two, but we can do it. Then we can check out the different frequencies to find the other Autobots."

"Beats calling collect." Lola said. "Come on, let's go find you some tech. we'll see you guys later." She waved goodbye and led Zig-zag back to camp.

And so Optimus and I were alone.

Again.

Was it just me or were they purposefully thinking up excuses to leave us?

I didn't have long to think on this when Optimus said, "We're being watched."

I followed his gaze. Peeping out from behind the trees and bushes were several children. When they saw us looking their way they quickly ducked back into their hiding places.

I laughed then called out to them, "Come on out, we don't bite."

Slowly the children emerged, clumping together as they stepped out of the forest. There were eleven total. None of the children were older than nine; the youngest must have been no older than four. I saw that two of them had dual colored eyes; the others must have either been too young or had not inherited the power. They made their way slowly to us, casting glances at Optimus. In their gazes I saw nervousness, wonder, and curiosity but not fear. The children stopped several feet from where Optimus sat. I waved at them, a few waved back.

"Hi there." I said in a cheery voice. "And what brings all of you here?" As if the answer wasn't obvious.

A boy, he looked to be the oldest and sported brown and blue eyes, spoke up. "We wanted to see the robot, Miss."

"Well what do you know," I said to Optimus. "Not even here a whole day and you already have a fan club. You should say hi."

Optimus just looked at me with a kind of awkward confusion. "I've never been good with sparklings, much less human sparklings." He said in hushed tones.

"You've met my brother right?"

"He is almost an adult, sometimes I think he is more of an adult than you are." Optimus muttered.

"Hey!"

"And Raf, the youngest human I've met, was still older than these young ones."

"Oh just say hi. It isn't going to kill you." I snapped.

Optimus turned to the kids and gave an awkward nod. "Hello."

A few of the children waved and said hello back then said nothing else. An awkward silence stretched out for several minutes. The kids stared at Optimus, and Optimus just looked lost. For a great leader he seemed to be lacking a few social skills.

As I struggled to find a way to get Optimus to relax, a girl of about seven years spoke up. "Miss, can you really fly?"

I shrugged. "Yeah, sure."

That seemed to get the kids' attention. Their eyes now focused on me. I could see Optimus' shoulders sag a little in relief. An alien robot gets spooked by a bunch of toddlers. That was kind of sad but also a little funny.

"What's it like to fly?" asked a little boy with dirt on his cheek.

I rubbed my head, thinking. "Well uh, it's kind of hard to describe. Imagine the craziest rollercoaster rides you've ever been on then multiply it by a hundred and you get close to what it feels like."

The kids stared at me blankly. Then the little girl spoke up again. "Could you take us flying?"

The rest of the kids warmed up to that idea almost instantly.

"Please?" They all asked.

They swarmed around me, tugging on my arms and looking at me with those big puppy dog eyes. Why did they have to do the puppy dog eyes? What resolve I had was crumbling under their pleas.

"Alright." I sighed. God, what a pushover I was. "But only one at a time and we're not going too high."

The children cheered and began to argue amongst themselves over who should go first.

"Alright," I yelled over the din. "I have a number in my head; it's between one and fifty. I want you all to pick a number and whoever gets it or gets closest to it gets to go first."

The children called out their numbers. It ended up being the boy with dirt on his cheek got to go first. The others formed a line behind him.

I knelt on the ground and had the kid climb on piggy-back.

"Don't let go." I warned.

I felt the familiar feeling of the Valkyrie wings appearing. I crouched then launched into the air. We flew up ten, fifteen, and then twenty feet. I stopped there. The boy was looking around in wonder. From the ground we could see the kids waving madly up at us.

"Hey guys." The boy called. "You look like ants way down there." He giggled.

"Hold on." I said.

I fell into a shallow dive. The kid clutched my shoulders tightly, whooping loudly as we raced toward the ground. I pulled out of the dive and landed lightly. The other children applauded.

"Again, again." The boy said.

"You gotta wait your turn." said the next kid in line. "I'm next."

And so it went on like that for maybe an hour. I'd take the kids up to about twenty feet, let them look around, and then dive back to the ground. They kept wanting to go again and again, never seeming to tire from it. I, on the other hand, was getting a little worn out.

After I landed for what seemed like the hundredth time, I waved the kids off. "I need to rest for a little bit."

The children pouted a little, but soon became occupied with chasing each other around, arms outstretched like wings. I laughed at their antics then looked over at Optimus. That was when I noticed the little girl, the youngest of the bunch, creeping slowly toward him. She had a teddy bear tucked up under her left arm and she had her thumb in her mouth. She walked up to Optimus and tapped on his leg. He looked down at her. The girl pulled her thumb out of her mouth and waved at him.

"Hi you." She said. "I am Maggie. What your name?"

"I am Optimus Prime." He said, glancing at me with an awkward look.

"Op-Optimush. Optimesus. Op-Optimiss." The girl struggled. "I just call you Oppy."

I snorted with laughter, quickly covering it with a cough. Optimus shot me a glare.

The girl prattled on in that cheery toddler way, completely oblivious to Optimus' discomfort. "Are you really an alien? Have you been to the moon? Are the other robots as big as you? Is it pretty where you come from?"

"It used to be." Optimus said.

"What happened?" Maggie asked.

Optimus sighed, struggling to find an explanation that wouldn't frighten the four year old. "Our planet became very ill."

"It got sick?" she asked.

Optimus nodded.

"It needs some medicine." Maggie stated. "It should see a doctor."

Optimus chuckled sadly. "Maybe one day we'll find a cure for our planet. But for now we remain wanderers."

"I hope your home gets better soon." She said. "But do you like our home?"

"Yes, your planet is very beautiful." Optimus smiled.

Maggie nodded. "I think it's pretty too. I like it a lot. I like the flowers and the birds and the mountains and the animals. But not skunks. I don't like skunks. They're stinky." She pinched her nose "Yucky!"

"Kids!" a woman called from the distance. "Come on its dinner time. You had better be getting back to your families."

The kids scrambled toward the camp, laughing and pushing each other. Maggie remained beside Optimus. She searched her pockets, then drew out what looked to be a half eaten lollipop.

"Here," she said, placing it on Optimus' leg. "I was gonna save it for later, but you can have the rest." She scampered after the others, stopped, and turned back waving. "Bye-bye Oppy!"

Optimus waved goodbye.

I walked up beside him. "Aw, you made a new friend."

"It would appear so." He said.

"That was just too adorable." I said. "You know, with a little training you might make a half decent baby sitter."

"I doubt it."

I elbowed his leg. "Come on; give it a shot…Oppy."

"What did you say?" Optimus asked slowly, his voice so low he was almost growling.

"Nothing, nothing…Oppy."

He lunged for me but I ducked out of his hold, and ran a few yards away.

"You know, I think Oppy Prime is a much more suitable name for you." I called. "I'm sure that's what generations after will remember you by: Oppy Prime."

Optimus growled and struggled to his feet.

I took off toward camp, laughing until my lungs hurt.

**And that's it for this chapter. Next chapter: Val has a run in with a certain seeker we all know and love...or hate, whichever you prefer. **

**Reviews? **


	17. Kidnapped by Three Evil Stooges

**AN: This chapter probably won't be as good as the others. I was trying to finish it during the superbowl (bad idea on my part). Hope you like it anyway. **

**I don't own transformers.**

I have nothing against show tunes. Other than their annoying tendency to get stuck in my head, they're just fine. However I do think there is an appropriate and inappropriate time and place to listen to them. An appropriate time would be when watching a Broadway show, or an old movie musical. An inappropriate time would be singing them when hiking through the vast Alaskan wilderness.

Like now for instance.

"_If saying your prayers you like,_

_If green pears you like_

_If old chairs you like,_

_If back stairs you like,_

_If love affairs you like_

_With young bears you like_

_Why nobody would oppose!_

_And though I'm not a great romancer_

_I know that I'm bound to answer when you propose,_

_Anything goes…_

_Anything goes!"_

Lexie finished the last note with a flourish; arms raised high above her head, staring at the surrounding forest as if it were a theater packed with adoring fans. Lola burst into applause and I clapped along.I had to admit, she had a good voice to her.

"Damn kid, you got a voice for showbiz." Lola said, clearly impressed.

Lexie smiled sheepishly. "Thanks, I have to admit, I'm a total nut for show tunes."

"Really? I assumed you were into country." Lola said.

Lexie shook her head. "Actually I can't stand it."

Lola grinned. "Me neither. Country and scream metal, those two I can't stand. I'm fine with any other type of music except those."

"Can ya sing?" Lexie asked.

"How do you think I make a living?" She paused for a moment then started belting out the lyrics to "All That Jazz" from the musical _Chicago._

I groaned quietly and quickened my pace. It wasn't that Lola didn't have a good singing voice; it's just that right now wasn't the best time to be flaunting it. I'd woken up that morning feeling extremely restless and not the usual "God, I hate waiting" restlessness but a particular feeling that had me wanting to go take a stroll deep in the forests, despite the fact that said forests were probably filled with bears and wolves and other lovely furry creatures that would want to take a snap at me. So after breakfast I'd planned to go on a little outing. Zig-zag, having commandeered several laptops from various campers, was busy working on masking the message frequency that Optimus was going to send. Optimus was still undergoing repairs from Double-A. So that left Lola and I. Lexie had decided to tag along as well. And so here I was, several miles from camp, listening to those two sing their favorite songs from various musicals and movies.

Like I said, there was an appropriate and inappropriate time for show tunes.

I walked on, driven by some impulse I couldn't quite understand. It wasn't like I was receiving direct orders from someone; it was more like a gut instinct pushing me onwards. I had to be somewhere. To be honest, it felt like I was trying to sneak up on something. Of course it would be a lot easier to sneak up on something if Lola and Lexie weren't belting out the lyrics to "Hakuna Mahtata".

Where was a grouchy grizzly bear when you needed one?

"That was fun!" Lexie exclaimed, catching her breath. "What next?"

"Something from _Guys and Dolls_?" Lola suggested.

"Ooh ya read my mind!" Lexie squealed.

"No offense," I sighed. "but could we have a break from the Lexie and Lola variety show for a little while?"

"The Lexie and Lola Show," Lola mused. "that kind of has a nice ring to it."

"It kind of sounds like a Las Vegas show to me." Lexie said. They both started laughing.

A shiver went up my spine. "Guys shush!"

"What, our singing ain't that bad is it?" Lexie asked.

"No, seriously. Be quiet." I snapped. "There something up ahead."

That shut those two up.

"What kind of something?" Lola asked. "Like, ghost-of-a-serial-killer-powered-by-dark-energon-something? Or M.E.C.H.-with-another-plan-to-ambush-Optimus something? Or evil-Decepticons-that-are-looking-for-revenge-after-Ziggy-and-I-screwed-up-their-ship something?"

"Wow, you've gone through quite a lot of crap." Lexie said.

"You don't even know the half of it." Lola sighed.

"I'm not sure what it is." I murmured, "I just know we're not far from it." I started to run.

"Val, wait up, damn it!" Lola called. "I hate it when she gets like this."

I wove between the trees, Lola and Lexie stumbling quietly along behind me. That feeling leading me onwards. We'd gone a few more yards when I stopped dead, staring at a steep hill in front of us. The other two skidded to a stop behind me. Lola looked like she wanted to curse me out but was too out of breath to say anything. Regaining her composer, she opened her mouth but snapped it shut when she heard a voice echoing from the other side of the hill.

"You idiots!" someone yelled. "Watch where you step! Damage the dark energon and it's useless to us."

Lola and Lexie's eyes widened.

"Crud." They murmured.

I put my finger to my lips and gestured toward the hill. As quietly as we could we scrambled to the top. The sight below us did nothing to improve my nerves. A small mine of dark energon was sticking out of the ground, glowing ominously in the daylight. There were no spirits around but something just as bad was there.

Decepticons.

Three of them to be exact.

One had a dark blue, almost black color. The next was dark grey, with a slight purplish tinge, and the last was a silvery grey color. All were rather slim and all had what looked to be jet wings sticking out of their backs. And they all had red eyes.

Yep definitely Decepticons.

The silvery grey one was yelling at the smaller darker grey one. "How many time must I tell you, Skywarp, to look before you teleport? It is hard enough to collect this energon without you messing about!"

"Aw, I was just having a little fun Screamer, what's the harm in that?" the one called Skywarp said.

"And how many times have I told you not to call me Screamer?" the light grey one snarled.

"About two-thousand, four-hundred, and eighty-three times." The dark blue 'Con said. "Give or take a few hundred."

The light grey one turned and smacked him upside the head. "Your sarcasm is not appreciated Thundercracker."

Thundercracker just shrugged. "You might not appreciate it, Starscream, but it makes me feel better."

Skywarp chuckled then grimaced as Starscream smacked the back of his head too.

"Just get back to work." Starscream sighed.

Was it just me, or were these guys sort of like the Three Stooges? If the Three Stooges were evil, alien robots.

Starscream was definitely Moe.

I ducked back down into our hiding spot and looked over at Lola and Lexie. Both looked grim and scared.

"We need to alert Optimus and the camp." I said.

Lexie nodded then brought out her cell phone. "No bars."

Lola rolled her eyes. "Gee, I wonder why? Do you think that it has something to do with us being out in the middle of nowhere?"

"Go back down the hill and try to get a signal." I said. "Lola, go with her. Don't give me that look." I said when she opened her mouth to argue. "You've got no powers and no gun. I hate to say this, but right now you'd be more of a hindrance than a help."

"What if the robots catch the signal?" Lola asked.

"Just keep your fingers crossed that they don't." I said. "Besides, they'll be a little too distracted to notice." The sword formed in my hands as I said this.

"You're about to do something stupid and impulsive, aren't you?" Lola sighed.

"Duh, this is me we're talking about." I replied. "Besides, someone's got to get rid of the dark energon, and…" I pause for a moment, listening to that gut instinct. "And this just feels like the right thing to do."

"Yeah, well if you get blown up I'm gonna kick your ass." Lola said. She and Lexie scurried down the hill and off into the forest.

I peered down the hill at the three Decepticons. They were using some sort of cutting tool to slice the crystals and place them in carrying contains. Actually, Thundercracker and Skywarp were doing the gathering; Starscream was just standing over them barking orders. I needed to get down the hill without them noticing me.

What I needed was a distraction.

And there was one particular spirit that was very good with distractions.

My right hip tingled. I looked up into the tree tops, trying to see Anansi, but found nothing. Something scuttled across my hand. Looking down, I had to bite my lip to keep from shrieking.

Spiders.

Dozens, hundreds, thousands of spiders came crawling out of the trees, grass, and rocks making their way toward the robots. Their sizes ranged from as small as the nail on my pinky finger, to the size of my boot. Normally I don't have a problem with spiders, but seeing that many creepy-crawlies at once can disturb even the bravest dispositions. The Decepticons took no notice of the little eight-leggers. The spiders converged on Starscream. They massed together at his feet. Then they all shot thin threads of spider silk at his legs. The spiders began to circle his legs, the strands of webbing combining, becoming one thick thread that wrapped tightly around his ankles. Starscream didn't seem them.

But Skywarp did.

He blinked and rubbed his eyes. His mouth popped open as he watched the spiders.

"Uh, Screamer,"

"Stop calling me that!" Starscream snapped.

"Seriously, Starscream, look down." Skywarp said.

"I don't have time for your immature pranks!"

"But Screamer—"

"Stop calling me that!" Starscream went to scold Skywarp, only he didn't make it far.

The webbing caught and Starscream went down, arms flailing, feet sticking up in the air. The spiders scattered.

Speaking of feet; no wonder he fell. Was it normal for Decepticons to have that high of heels? Seriously, he wore them higher than Lola did.

While those three were otherwise distracted, I scrambled down the hill, ducking behind a large pile of dark energon. Yuck.

Thundercracker chuckled as he helped Starscream to his feet, ripping the webbing away.

"Skywarp!" Starscream snarled.

Skywarp held up his hands. "Wasn't me this time, I swear. It was a whole bunch of those freaking organic insects. There were tons of them!"

Starscream picked up the webbing. "This looks like Airachnid's work." He scanned the treetops. "But that annoying femme is nowhere to be seen."

"Maybe we should call it quits for today." Thundercracker suggested. "This dark energon is starting to make me a little dizzy."

"No." Starscream said. "We need to finish collecting, back to work."

My mind raced through ideas. I needed to stall until Optimus got here. Just stall, I could beat up on these guys as much as I could, but I had to stall. That was it. I wasn't entirely sure why; it was that stupid feeling again, directing my choices. In all honesty, it was starting to weird me out, and my weirdness level was pretty high.

I glanced around me, reminding myself of the dark energon. It was high time to get rid of it. I eyed a patch of it several yards away from my hiding spot. I couldn't get to it without catching the Decepticons' attention, and I didn't have a good enough arm to chuck my sword at it. Frustration was starting to boil in me. I glared at the dark energon. The ground around it began to crack and split. Then from the gashes sharp rock spires jutted up, shattering the crystals.

The 'Cons spun, staring at the spot.

"What the…" Thundercracker muttered.

I turned to look at another patch of the bad stuff. Glaring at it, I made a punching motion with my fist. More rocks sprang up, shattering the dark energon. I swept my arms around, the dark crystals shattered into dust.

Alright, now it's getting good.

Skywarp ducked behind Thundercracker. "Can we get out of here? Please?"

"Someone's behind this." Starscream hissed. "Find them."

The three of them spread out, searching. I gripped my sword tightly. Skywarp was only a few yards from me, his back to me. I crouched, waiting for the right moment.

Skywarp turned.

I stared at him. He stared at me.

I waved.

He waved back then froze, realizing who he was waving at.

"Human!" he yelled. "There's a human hiding here!"

That was my cue.

Swinging my sword, I shattered the dark energon that I was hiding behind. That got the attention of the other two.

"Hi." I said.

"Get it!" Starscream snarled.

It? Well that was rude.

Thundercrack lunged. I jumped onto his arms and scrambled over his shoulders then leapt off. I rolled as I hit the ground, coming to a stop near the last pile of dark energon.

Raising the sword above my head, I shouted, "Autobots rule and Decepticons drool!"

Not the most original of battle cries, but whatever.

I slashed the sword downward, shattering the last of the crystals.

"Oops, my bad."

"Insolent little fleshbag!" Starscream snarled.

I stuck out my tongue and ducked between his legs. I ran, channeling Bast, and leapt onto Thundercracker's back, holding on tightly.

"Get it off!" Thundercracker shouted, trying to shake me off.

"I got it!" Skywarp yelled, raising his fist to smash me.

I let go just as he brought his hand down. The force of the blow knocked Thundercracker to the ground.

Skywarp stood there looking sheepish. "Sorry Cracker."

I was backing up when Starscream grabbed me from behind. His fist squeezing me tightly.

"And how shall I get rid of this pesky insect?" Starscream mused. "Should I simply crush you, slice you up, or blast you into oblivion?"

"Do I get any say in this?" I gasped.

Starscream's hand tightened.

A blast shot a few inches over his head, making the tree behind him explode.

"Release her, Starscream." Optimus approached slowly, battlemask down and gun aimed directly at Starscream.

"Prime!" Starscream hissed.

"Frag, that's Optimus Prime." Skywarp whimpered. "I'm outta here."

A flash of light and Skywarp was gone. Guess he really could teleport.

"Come back you coward!" Starscream yelled.

"Your buddy is pretty smart." I said. "If I were you I'd be heading for the hills right about now."

Thundercracker looked warily between Starscream and Optimus. It was clear he wasn't going to take any chances battling Optimus.

"I'll say this only once more," Optimus' voice may have sounded calm, but it was all the more intimidating. "Release the girl."

Starscream's eyes darted every which way, calculating his odds. A cruel smile slowly lit up his face.

"I'll consider it, you hand over the Immobilizer." He said.

What the heck was the Immobilizer?

"Don't give him anything, Optimus." I said.

"Then it looks like you will be spending some quality time with us, my dear." Starscream said.

He leapt into the air. I heard Optimus yell, but he was drowned out by the sound of gears shifting. There was metal all around me. I felt like I was being compressed. Then suddenly I was sitting in the cockpit of a fighter jet. The seatbelt shot out around me, binding me.

Starscream shot through the air. I looked back to see Optimus but we were already too far away. Thundercracker, also in jet form, flew along beside us.

"Starscream, are you sure about this? Didn't you say that the Autobots were very protective of their humans?" Thundercracker asked through the radio.

"Of course I know what I'm doing!" Starscream grouched. "Now stop talking and fly faster."

I struggled against my bonds, trying to summon any power. But nothing would come. Instead I got that feeling again, urging me to stop fighting. To just go with the flow. It wouldn't do me any good right now anyway. Even if I managed to escape Starscream, we were several thousand feet up. The altitude alone would kill me. So I sat back in the seat, trying to figure out how to get out once we landed.

That's when the calling started. Just a faint echo at the back of my mind to begin with, but it got louder and louder with each passing minute. It was about to the point where I was starting to get a headache when Starscream began his descent. Slicing through the clouds, I began to make out the surrounding landscape.

I had to bite my lip to stop myself from gasping.

I recognized the mountains, covered in snow, ice, and pine. My eyes instinctively turned toward the tallest peak.

The Gates of the Arctic.

The Star Saber was not far.

And then it hit me. That feeling that had been bugging me all morning, that instinct that had been guiding me, it was the Star Saber. I could feel it calling to me, leading me to it. It had brought me here. Granted, in the hands of a Decepticon, but still, I was not far from it.

Starscream descended into a valley at the base of the mountains. He transformed and tossed me to Thundercracker.

"Find that idiot Skywarp and tie this human up somewhere." He ordered.

Now was my chance to make a break for it. But that feeling surged through me, telling me to keep calm and wait.

I turned toward the Gates of the Arctic where the Star Saber lay waiting for me.

_I hope you know what you're doing. _I thought, not sure if the blade could hear me or not.

From the distant mountain came the echoing reply.

_Do not fear. Keep your eyes open. Some unexpected help is on the way. _

_**Yep, now it's Val's turn to get kidnapped. **_

_**Anywho, I'd like some suggestions for colors and alt-modes for incoming characters. **_

_**Wheeljack (yeah, I'm bringing him in, but I have no clue what I should have as his alt mode) **_

_**Perceptor (his G1 alt mode was a microscope but I'm not sure if I want to use it) **_

_**Que (Since Wheeljack can't be the zany inventor, I'm bringing Que in, I'm debating about using his movie alt mode but if you have any better suggestions i'll take them) **_

_**I'm also bringing in Ironhide (yay!) and Chromia, but I already know what their colors and alt modes will be. **_

_**Reviews? **_

_**Oh, and the lyrics were from Anything Goes from the musical Anything Goes. **_


	18. Meeting Big Guns and New Bots

**AN: So initially I had intended to have this be one really looooong chapter, but then school work and all that other crap got in the way so I decided to take the lazy route and split it into two chapters. This chapter mainly just serves as an intro for the new Autobots. By the way, their vehicle modes are:**

**Ironhide:black GMC Topkick (I just had to stick to his movie alt-mode) **

**Chromia:light blue suzuki B-King (I didn't want to change her color since she originally was blue, so I just made her a few shades lighter than Arcee) **

**Wheeljack:Fenomenon Stratos (thank you janit3443) **

**Perceptor:bright red Jaguar XKR (thank you TheChippedCup) **

**Que:blue Mercedes-Benz E550 (I was lazy so I decided to stick to his movie alt-mode) **

**And in case anyone was wondering, Optimus won't be contacting Ratchet and the others for another two or three chapters **

**Alright, I think I've blabbed enough, here's chapter 18 (at least I think it's 18, I'm starting to lose track).**

**I don't own transformers**

Poke.

"Stop that."

Poke.

"Quit it."

Poke.

"I'm warning you."

Poke.

"I will bite your finger."

Skywarp regarded me with dubious curiosity. The 'Cons didn't have anything to tie me up with so they had left Skywarp in charge of watching me. At first he had seemed kind of scared of me. Then little by little he had started inching closer. Then he had started poking me like a little kid might poke a snake. I had put up with it at first, hoping he'd just stop. But now it was really starting to annoy me.

Skywarp looked like he was going to poke me again.

I glared at him. "Don't."

Poke.

That's it.

I turned and bit his finger, thinking _Jaws_ thoughts. Note to self: try and get a contract with a great white shark spirit, never know when you might have to bite somebody. I didn't think I did that much damage, but Skywarp drew back with a shriek, clutching his finger.

Thundercracker walked over. "What's going on now?"

"It bit me!" Skywarp wailed.

"What were you doing to piss it off?" Thundercracker asked.

"Nothing."

"He was poking me." I said.

Thundercracker sighed. "You never learn, do you Skywarp? I'll take over watching the human. Go bug Starscream."

Skywarp went to leave then turned back to Thundercracker. "Does this look infected?" he asked, holding out his finger.

Thundercracker just shook his head and rolled his eyes.

"No offense, but I don't think your buddy is exactly the sharpest tool in the shed." I said, watching Skywarp walk off.

"Skywarp wasn't meant to be a warrior." Thundercracker said. "His curiosity always gets the better of him, he has the shortest attention span of anybot I've ever met, he may have teleporting abilities but he's incredibly clumsy, and he isn't mature enough to understand this war. I don't know what I was thinking, bringing him along with me to this planet. He'll get himself killed for sure." Thundercracker stiffened as he realized what he'd just said. "You didn't hear that."

"Hear what?" I asked.

"Exactly." Thundercracker said.

Despite the fact that he was a Decepticon, I didn't think that Thundercracker was all that bad. He didn't seem all that eager to fight. His main priority seemed to be keeping Skywarp safe.

I sighed and flopped back onto the hard ground, staring up at the sky. "So how long does this hostage thing usually last?"

Thundercracker shrugged. "A few days maybe. If the Autobots don't bring the Immobilizer, Starscream will probably just kill you."

So hostage situations for Cybertronians were pretty much the same as human ones. That did nothing to improve my attitude; I'd been a cop long enough to see enough hostage crisis's gone wrong. Optimus had no way to get in contact with the other Autobots yet. So I was kind of stuck between a rock and a hard place.

"Gee, that's something to look forward to."

"Nothing personal, just business."

"That makes me feel better." I sighed and shut my eyes, waiting for some sort of signal from the Star Saber.

I let my mind go blank and fell into a sort of daze as the hours passed. The sun made its daily path through the sky. It was starting to sink down behind the western horizon, making the shadows lengthen and the already chilly air even colder. I shivered slightly, my throat was dry and my stomach rumbled.

I was starting to contemplate tasting some questionable looking berries on a nearby bush when I felt a jolt travel through my spine. Sitting up so quickly I almost got a whiplash, I turned my gaze to the darkening eastern horizon. The mental shout-out told me help was on its way. Now was the time to make my move.

I turned to Thundercracker. "Nothing personal."

"Huh?"

I made a punching motion at him; the ground opened and several pillars of rocks shot up, smashing into Thundercracker, knocking him down but not otherwise harming him. I took off, following some internal GPS. I heard Starscream and Skywarp yelling. Closing my eyes for a second, I released energy that I'd been storing since I was captured. The whole valley shook in an earthquake. The Decepticons stumbled and fell, but I ran on, not bothered at all. I reached the surrounding forest and found the ground to be stable; the earthquake was centered solely in the valley.

Summoning Valkyrie, I shot through the trees, dodging branches along the way. I had no idea where I was going, that voice just kept leading me on. A piercing whistle tore through the air. It was like the sound of a plane landing only way bigger. And it came from right above my head. I looked up and shrieked. A spaceship was making a crash course right over top of me. I back peddled as fast as I could but was thrown through the air and into a tree from the sheer force of the ship's landing. Spitting out pine needles, I watched the ship skid across the ground, knocking down trees as if they were nothing more than toothpicks.

Boy were there going to be some pissed off conservationist.

I winged my way to where the ship had finally come to a stop. The vessel wasn't even one-fourth the size of the _Nemesis_ and it was sleeker. Smoke curled up from the dark grey metal. As I approached I saw several pieces of the ship spark and fall off. Whoever had done the driving needed to learn a few lessons in landing.

I circled around the ship, looking for an entrance. Or at least a doorbell. Or even a window.

"Uh, hello?" I called. "Is anybody in there?"

Was anybody alive? That wasn't exactly the prettiest landing I've seen, and I wasn't sure if spaceships came equipped with airbags.

There was a loud grinding noise. I flew back a few feet, landing behind some bushes. A ramp lowered slowly from one end of the ship. A white robot with orange and green accents emerged and surveyed the damage.

He whistled and shook his head. "Nice flying Ironhide."

A string of curses echoed from the ship as a large black robot came to stand with the white one.

"It ain't my slaggin' fault," he growled. "It was Que's cloaking device that jammed the controls."

I glanced over my shoulder; Starscream and the others couldn't be far away and they must've seen the crash. I had a few minutes at best to warn these guys.

I jumped out of the bushes. "Uh excuse m—"

One good thing to remember: that Ironhide guy has _really_ big guns. And he is _very_ trigger-happy.

I had maybe a second to dive out of the way before the spot I had been standing on exploded from the shot. I was knocked down from the sheer force of it. As I struggled to stand up, I found myself looking down the barrel of the biggest cannon I'd ever seen.

I raised my hands slowly above my head. "I come in peace." I managed to squeak out.

The white robot peered over Ironhide's shoulder. "Uh 'Hide, Prime probably won't be too happy that you're shooting the locals."

Ironhide lowered his cannon an inch. "This is a human?"

"Yep."

I nodded my head in agreement. "Yeah I'm human, very, very human. So please don't shoot the human. Shoot the Decepticons chasing the human."

"What ar—" Ironhide started to ask then he stiffened, gaze focusing on something over my shoulder.

He raised his gun and fired off several rounds into the sky. I looked up and saw three fighter jets circling above us. They transformed and landed a good distance away, glaring at us. Starscream looked like he was about to blow a gasket, he was so pissed.

"Told you." I said.

The white robot cracked his knuckles. "Well, well, well. It's been awhile Starscream."

Starscream took a step back. "Wheeljack." He hissed. He looked over at Ironhide. "And the Autobot weapons specialist Ironhide."

Ironhide simply growled, his cannons glowing. I had to say, those guns looked pretty cool when they weren't aimed at my face.

Skywarp looked between the Autobots and Starscream. "There are only two of them. I think we can take them."

"Two?" came a silky voice from within the ship. "You need to have your optics checked, 'Con."

The Autobot that emerged was a light, icy-blue color, slim, graceful, and much smaller than the other two 'Bots. She stood beside Ironhide, changing her arm into a gun and aiming it at Starscream.

"I'm not going to let my mate have all the fun." She said, playfully nudging Ironhide.

"Three against three." Thundercracker said. "I'm not liking those odds."

Another voice echoed from inside the ship. "Excuse me. Even though we are not the best fighters, it is rude not to include us."

Two more Autobots came out of the ship. One was a steel-blue color and had some funky glowing hair that made him look like a robotic Albert Einstein. The other was slightly smaller, bright red, and had big almost goggle-like eyes.

"Geez, how many Autobots did you pack into that ship?" Skywarp asked.

I was wondering that too.

"So what do you guys think?" the light-blue bot asked. "Should we have a little target practice?"

"Chromia, that's a fantastic idea." The bright red bot stated. "Although I think Ironhide and Wheeljack will be hogging all the fun."

"You got that right." Ironhide growled. Wheeljack nodded in agreement, drawing two swords from his back.

Thundercracker shook his head. "This is way too much trouble to go through for a human hostage."

I swear it looked like Starscream was trying to kill with his glare. He scowled at each of the Autobots, hatred bright in his eyes. His gazed turned on me. I smiled and flipped him the bird.

"Keep the human then, Autobots." Starscream snarled. "But we'll be back."

"Not today." Said a deep familiar voice.

The three Decepticons whirled around. Optimus strode out of the forest, looking about as angry as I've ever seen him.

"How does he do that?" Skywarp asked in disbelief before disappearing.

"I'm out of here." Thundercracker mumbled, taking off as fast as he could.

Starscream shrieked in outrage but followed Thundercracker. Ironhide shot a few rounds at them, but they managed to avoid.

"Getting a little rusty there, Ironhide?" Wheeljack asked.

"Been cooped up in that ship for too long." Ironhide grumbled. "Would've liked to use those slagging 'Cons as target practice. Still, can't complain about seeing a friendly face." He turned toward Optimus with a grin.

"Did I ever tell you that you've got great timing?" I asked Optimus as I jogged over to him.

He scooped me up, glaring at me. "Did I ever tell you that you lack every ounce of self-preservation?"

"You might have mentioned it." I said.

Optimus shook his head. Looking over his shoulder he called, "You may come out now."

Zig-zag and Lola emerged from their hiding places.

"Is Val ok?" Zig-zag asked.

"I'm fine." I called down.

"Good, 'cause I'm gonna kill you!" Lola yelled, and she looked like she meant it. "I told you, I _told_ you not to do anything stupid, but do you listen? No and look what happened: you got captured by a bunch of Decepticons! You idiot! Do you have any idea what we've gone through? Everyone at camp was panicking. We had no idea where you were taken to. Optimus drove like a maniac to get here; he almost plowed over an entire herd of elk. Elk! And I don't even know how he knew where he was going; he hardly said a word to us. This has not been the best day for me and it's your fault! I swear, those Decepticons are gonna look like peace-loving hippies compared to me."

I clung to Optimus' hand. "Please for the love of God, or Primus, or whoever, don't put me down."

He sighed and lifted his hand to his shoulder. I scrambled on. Optimus walked over to the waiting Autobots who'd been watching us with expressions that ranged from confused to amused to outright curiosity. He walked up to Ironhide and clasped the weapon specialist's hand.

"It is good to see you again, old friend." He said.

Ironhide grinned. "Been awhile hasn't it? I'm amazed you managed to make it this long without me."

"Believe me when I say that your arrival is a most welcome one." Optimus said.

"Well you can thank the Wrecker for that." Ironhide nodded toward Wheeljack.

Wheeljack grinned. "I was bouncing around up there and I came across these four. They didn't have much of a destination in mind and my own ship had gotten damaged so I'd figured I'd tag along and lead them here."

While they were talking I'd noticed the Einstein Autobot and the goggled one staring at me with interest. They were slowly inching toward Optimus. Zig-zag and Lola had noticed and wisely ducked between Optimus' feet. This left me to undergo the two robots' scrutiny. These guys just reeked of nerdy and they were looking at me like I was a new science kit.

"What a curious creature." The Einstein 'Bot said, leaning closer to have a better look.

"Uh-oh." I mumbled, clutching Optimus' smokestack.

The goggled Autobot, who seemed to have more self-control than the other, greeted Optimus. "It has been quite some time, Prime."

"Perceptor, you are doing well I hope?" Optimus asked. "And who is this?" he turned toward the Einstein 'Bot.

"This is Que." Perceptor said. "I'm sure Ratchet has mentioned him to you. They were stationed in Praxus together during part of the war."

"Ah, indeed." Optimus said.

The way he said "ah" had me worried. It sounded like he was saying "uh-oh". Whatever Ratchet had said about Que, it must not have been very good. Optimus picked me up off his shoulder and cupped me against his chest, subtly turning away from Que. Yep, now I was worried. It wasn't that Que looked suspicious or anything, it was just that he had this glint in his eye, like he was on the borderline between genius and crazy. It kind of reminded me of Zig-zag to be honest.

"Let's not forget the femme, shall we?" Chromia said. She smiled up at Optimus. "How's my sister Arcee?"

"And Ratchet, how's he doing?" Ironhide added. "Not being too grouchy, is he?"

"You're one to talk." Chromia smiled, lightly slapping his shoulder.

Optimus' shoulders slumped slightly. "I wish I could give you a definite answer. But I have not seen any of my team in over a month."

"Why the slag haven't you?" Ironhide asked.

"It's a long story." I said. "One that involves Unicron, the Matrix of Leadership, Megatron, a bad case of amnesia, evil spirits, a zombie robot, some megalomaniacal anarchists, and me."

The five Autobots stared at me.

I sighed. "This is going to take awhile."

**That's it for now. Next chapter: Que blows up the ship, and they go on a Star Saber hunt. **

**Now for some long overdue responses to my dear readers. **

**TheChippedCup:** Thanks once again for recomending the jaguar for Perceptor's altmode, it looks way cooler than a microscope.

**Black Stars Girl: **Hi! I'm glad you like this story, I'll do my best to keep the updates coming.

**janit3443: **Thank you, thank you, thank you for recomending the fenomenon stratos, I took one look at it and screamed "It's Wheeljack!" And as for chapter six...it still haunts me too. I can't listen to _The Surfin Bird_ song without cracking up : )

**TransformersBaby: **Don't worry, Val always finds a way out of trouble just as often as she finds a way to get into trouble.

**AlexisOptimus: **Yep, we're definetly getting closer. Sometimes I get so caught up in the story line that I go "What's gonna happen next?" and then I realize, "I'm writing the darn story, I already know what's gonna happen next!" heh heh : )

**And to everyone else who I haven't gotten a chance to reply to: you guys are awesombots(a combination of awesome and autobot), thank you so much for reading and sticking with this story! **

**Goodnight! **


	19. Goodbye Ship and Rusty Disappointments

**I am so sorry for the slow update! I'm sure you are all sticking pins in voodoo dolls with my name on it. Please forgive me! I had a terrible case of writer's block. But here is chapter 19 so please take the pins out of the voodoo dolls. **

**I don't own transformers.**

"So, can someone explain to me why we're blowing up a perfectly good spaceship?" I asked, watching Que fiddling around the ship, rigging it to blow.

Zig-zag was following closely, watching Que excitedly. Over the past hour or so the two had seemed to taken a shine to each other. I was happy that Ziggy was getting along with him, and I was glad that Que wasn't planning on experimenting on Zig-zag.

But I was also downright terrified at what kind of trouble those two would cause together.

Seriously, I was shaking in my boots.

"For starters," Wheeljack said, coming to stand beside me. "It's not a perfectly good spaceship anymore. Thanks to Ironhide."

"I heard that!" Ironhide yelled.

Wheeljack ignored him. "And we can't drag the ship with us. The ship is cloaked, but we don't want any 'Cons to stumble upon it. We can't contact Bulkhead and the others. Our best option is to salvage the essentials then blow the thing sky high."

"Well when you put it that way it makes perfect sense." I mumbled.

It had taken us over an hour to recount our tale to the five stunned Autobots. It took a little convincing, and me summoning a few spirits, to get them to finally believe us. After that came the big question: what to do next? For us it was obvious: go after the Star Saber. But for Wheeljack and the others it wasn't so clear. Their ship was far too damaged for them to leave, and they didn't have the time or resources to fix it. They couldn't contact the Autobot base without running the risk of alerting the Decepticons, at least until Zig-zag could cloak the message. So it appeared that we would be getting five new travel buddies.

"It's ready." Que called, walking over to us, Zig-zag sitting on his shoulder. "Last chance to grab anything you might need."

"I think we're good." Wheeljack said, looking over at the salvage pile that the others were working on fitting into makeshift packs.

"Then I suggest we give this baby some room." Que said.

Wheeljack lowered his hand. "Care for a lift?"

"Thanks." I said, climbing on.

"We're ready to light this thing up." Wheeljack said to the others as we approached.

"Are we far enough from the ship to be safe?" Perceptor asked.

"Yep." Que said.

Everyone stared dubiously at him.

"Are you _sure_?" Chromia asked. "Are you one-hundred percent positive that we're at a secure distance?"

Que huffed indignantly. "Of course I'm sure."

Everyone took ten steps back just to be on the safe side.

"What's with the lack of confidence?" Zig-zag asked.

"It's ridiculous." Que sighed. "Just because I blew up a laboratory or two—"

"Or eight." Perceptor said.

"And half of an Autobot base." Chromia added.

"And a whole squad of soldiers." Ironhide said. "Thank the Allspark they were Decepticons."

"Honestly, we're lucky we even made it to Earth before he blew the ship up." Wheeljack muttered.

"—they think that everything I touch will spontaneously combust." Que said.

I groaned as I watched Ziggy's eyes widen to the size of dinner plates. Que was now officially Ziggy's best friend. The 'bot had him at spontaneous combustion.

Lola shot me a glare that said _I'm holding you personally responsible for any and all mayhem those two create. _

I was so screwed.

Optimus walked up to Wheeljack. "I am sorry to intrude, but I believe it would be better if Val stay in my care." He held out his hand.

I snorted. "What do you think I'm going to do? Take a flying leap towards the ship?"

"After everything that we have gone through, I would not put it past you." Optimus said.

"Ouch, that hurt a little." I grumbled.

"I meant no offense." He said. "I simply wish to keep you safe."

"Uh-huh." I said, climbing over to his hand.

Wheeljack, who had been watching us with a bemused expression, shook his head and walked over to talk to Que. I glanced over at Ironhide and saw that he was staring at us as well. Only he had a smirk and funny look in his eyes.

"Rather protective of your human aren't you?" Ironhide asked.

What the heck did that mean: _your human_?

Optimus stiffened a little. "Ironhide, though they are smaller in stature and do not possess the same strength as we Cybertronians, humans our not our pets and you shall not refer to them as such."

Thank you Optimus.

"Oh, I wasn't referring to her being a pet." Ironhide chuckled.

Optimus stared at him in confusion. "Then what…"

Ironhide sighed and cuffed Optimus on the shoulder. "You're a great leader, old friend, but sometimes you're a little dense." He glanced at my own bemused expression and sighed. "I can see that you're not much better than him. Just hope one of you figures it out." Ironhide walked off without another word.

"Ok…that was…I'm not sure how to respond to that." I said looking up at Optimus. "Did you get any of that?"

Optimus shook his head. "It is not like Ironhide to speak in riddles."

"I don't even think he knows what a riddle is." I mumbled.

"Val."

"What? Just saying his brains are in his guns is all." I said.

"Ironhide may not be as intelligent as others, but he always means well." Optimus said.

"When he's not trying to shoot people." I said.

"Val."

I held up my hands in surrender. "Ok, ok I'll stop."

"Everyone ready?" Que called.

"Ready as we'll ever be." Chromia said, standing behind Ironhide.

Lola hid behind Chromia's legs. "Did he really blow up a base?"

"Only half." Perceptor said.

"That doesn't make me feel any better." Lola gulped.

"Me neither." Chromia replied.

Que rubbed his hands eagerly, that mad scientist vibe running full throttle. "Initiating countdown in seven-six-five—"

Zig-zag cackled maniacally, bouncing up and down. "Let it begin. Let it begin. Let it begin!"

I groaned and banged my head against Optimus' palm.

Those two were going to kill us, I just know it.

"—one-zero."

A blinding flash lighting up the night sky, a moment of silence then—

_Wham! _

I nearly flew out of Optimus' hand from the force of the air. Heck, the blast almost knocked Optimus' down. And I was sure people would see the light all the way from Juneau. A second later all was still. Looking up, I saw a big smoking crater where the ship used to be. The trees nearby had lost all their needles and were sizzling slightly, but thankfully none were on fire.

"That was totally wicked!" Ziggy cried, his hair sticking straight up. "We've got to do that again sometime."

The resounding answer came from all except Que.

"NO!"

* * *

><p>"You need to turn a little more to the left, we're going to far north." I said to Optimus.<p>

Optimus' wheel turned accordingly. I jolted in my seat a bit when we ran over yet another fallen tree. There were no roads to the Gates of the Arctic, so we had to make our own. I had no idea how Perceptor, Que, and Wheeljack were handling the foliage. They had all scanned vehicle modes from the internet. And they chose some very sleek looking cars that looked great on the highway but were not very forest friendly. Chromia's bike mode was small and agile enough to dodge any obstacles, and Ironhide's big black truck form looked like it could handle anything, and Optimus simply plowed through anything in his way. But as for the other three…I just hoped they weren't too fond of their paint jobs.

"We're not too far now." I said, reclining in my seat and looking around the empty cabin. Zig-zag was riding with Que, and Lola was riding with Ironhide. I sighed. "I can't tell you how eager I am for this whole crazy trip to be over. No offense to you or anything, but I've just about had my fill of evil spirits and evil robots. The sooner this Unicron is gone the better."

"Then our lives may return to at least a semblance of normality." Optimus said.

I laughed. "Normality, not quite sure if I've ever had that, but catching everyday bad guys will seem like a walk in the park compared to this."

"You are planning on returning to Seattle?" Optimus asked.

"Yeah, I guess. I mean, I've got my job and home there."

"I assumed you would be staying with us." Optimus said. "Staying in Jasper, that is."

I shrugged. "Maybe."

"Jack and June are there, and if you are worried about an occupation I am certain that Agent Fowler can assist you in finding a job, and I do not believe that Zig-zag and Lola would wish to return to Seattle after all this is done, and—"

"Whoa, slow down there," I said. "If you want me to stay all you have to do is ask."

"I do not want you to stay." Optimus said quickly, he paused for a moment, realizing what he said then quickly backtracked. "That is, I simply believe it is better for you to remain with the Autobots for your protection, not that I wish to be rid of you." The steering wheel turned agitatedly, causing Optimus to almost swerve into a tree. Ironhide let out an annoyed beep from behind us.

"Maybe I should drive." I suggested.

"No. I was just distracted for a moment."

"Ok then," I said. "So if I decide to stay, I'm guessing that I'd be assigned a guardian and watched over like a kid?"

"You would be protected, yes."

"So who's the unlucky Autobot that's going to get stuck with me?" I asked.

"Myself, of course."

I raised an eyebrow. "But wouldn't be a burden to have to watch over a human when you have enough responsibilities as a leader to begin with?"

"I do not consider you to be a burden." Optimus said quietly. "And I doubt anyone other than myself can handle you."

"Are you insulting me or trying to give me a compliment?" I asked.

"It is a bit of both, I believe."

I smiled. "Well thanks."

We faded into a comfortable silence as the miles passed. The incline became steeper and steeper. The trees became sparser. Finally Optimus came to a stop.

"I can drive no farther." He said. "From here, we walk."

I hopped out and he transformed. The others did the same. We stared up at the mountain before us. Steep and rocky with few trees and the top cover in snow, it would've looked great on a postcard, but the fact that we had to climb it kind of detracted from its splendor.

"So who wants to go mountain climbing?" Lola asked.

"Chromia, Wheeljack, and Que, remain behind and keep a lookout." Optimus instructed. "Ironhide, Perceptor, and I will assist Val in retrieving the Saber."

"What are we? Chopped liver?" Zig-zag asked, gesturing to him and Lola. "We're coming too." They both crossed their arms stubbornly.

Optimus sighed. "Very well."

He picked me up and placed me on his shoulder. Ironhide carried Lola, and Zig-zag clung to Perceptor. We slowly ascended the mountain, with me guiding the way. Higher and higher we climbed, the cold night air getting thinner and thinner. We were about halfway up the mountain when I felt something click within my mind.

"Stop!" I yelled. "We're here."

"I don't see anything." Lola said. "Nothing but rocks."

"Put me down." I said to Optimus.

He placed me gently on the ground. I walked up to the rocky wall. The vibe was getting stronger and stronger, emanating through the rocks.

"There's a cave here." I said.

"Looks like we'll have to do some blasting to get to it." Ironhide said, his cannon's coming out.

"That won't be necessary." I said.

I placed my hand on the rock and sent a out a pulse of power. The rocks shivered then began to melt away. Soon an entrance big enough for the Autobots to walk through was formed.

"Fascinating." Perceptor said.

"You don't even know the half of it." Ziggy said.

Optimus peered inside. "It seems to be a tunnel. I cannot tell how far down it goes."

I took a step inside, shivering at the electricity that ran through me. "There's only one way to find out." I headed down the tunnel.

With each step I took the calling got stronger. I hurried forward, my eyes barely seeing ten feet in front of me. Optimus called out to me as I went further from the group. Finally I stumbled to a stop; I'd reached the end of the tunnel. Nothing was visible but I could sense a large open space in front of me. Optimus, Ironhide, and Perceptor caught up to me, Zig-zag and Lola were right behind them. They shined lights into the cavern. The space was huge; the walls shot hundreds of feet up to the ceiling lined with sharp stalactites. It was over a hundred yards from one end of the cave to the other. The floor was lined with deep cracks, and in the direct center of the cave was a pile of rocks.

"Ok, so where is the dang thing?" Lola asked. "You sure your Saber sonar is working right?"

"It's here." I said. "I can sense it."

I scanned the rocks, going over every one of them in detail. My eyes caught something and my heart sunk a bit.

"It's there." I said, pointing at the rock pile.

The others followed my gaze.

"You've got to be kidding me." Lola muttered.

Sticking jaggedly out of the rock pile was a piece of metal so rusted over it could barely be made out to be a sword. I knew we were all kind of expecting to see a magnificent weapon before us, and the twisted sword seemed to be a bit of a slap in the face. But I could feel the pull of it and knew without a doubt that it was the Star Saber.

"Hope you've had your tetanus shots updated recently." Zig-zag said.

"There is no way in pit that hunk of junk is the legendary Star Saber." Ironhide growled.

"Perhaps it is a decoy." Optimus said.

I shook my head. "No, that is the Star Saber."

"Well, that's one big disappointment." Lola grumbled. "We've come all this way, been through all this shit just to find some rusted over tin can."

"Maybe it looks worse than it really is." I said. "Maybe all it needs is a little TLC."

"Val, it's going to take a whole hell of a lot more than a little TLC to get that thing to turn back into a sword." Lola said.

I sighed. "I know, but what other choice do we have?"

I looked around at the others. No one said anything.

I turned resolutely toward the sword. "I'm going in." I took a step toward the steps.

"Wait!" Perceptor cried. "Do not go any further!"

"What is it?" Ironhide asked.

"I have been running scans of the cave." Perceptor said. "And I've discovered that the floor is incredibly weak."

"How weak?" Lola asked, backing away from the cave.

"It appears to be strong enough to hold a human's weight."

"Will it break at any moment?" Optimus asked.

Perceptor paused for a moment, running scans then shook his head. "It appears that the stability of the floor relies on a single pressure point. Once that pressure point is removed the floor will collapse. I'm not sure how far of a drop it is. It seems to go on and on…"

"Straight to the center of the earth." I said. "Straight to Unicron."

The others looked at me.

"Don't you see?" I said. "The Saber is the pressure point, once I pull it out the floor will collapse sending me straight down."

The message was quite simple really: once I took the sword, there was no going back.

"Can't you just fly over and pick it up?" Zig-zag asked.

I shook my head. "No, I can't summon Valkyrie or any of the others. Something about this cave is blocking them."

"There's no way you're taking that sword." Lola said.

"I don't have a choice." I said.

"Yes you do." Optimus said. "We shall regroup, come up with a different strategy. Once we contact the base we can use the groundbridge."

"But—" I protested.

"Do not argue." Optimus said. "I will not have you risking your life for the Saber. Now we should leave before the ground falls out from under our feet."

He scooped me up and walked back to the entrance. I stared back at the Saber, hearing its call and feeling like a failure. The climb down the mountain seemed to take only a few minutes. Chromia, Wheeljack, and Que greeted us with expectant smiles, but they soon faded as Optimus explained the situation. All eyes then turned to Zig-zag. He needed to get the cloak up fast.

Zig-zag cracked his knuckles. "Let me work my magic."

He booted up a laptop and started typing furiously. I sat on a nearby log, staring at the ground. The laptop let out a ping sound.

"What was that?" Lola asked.

"Video chat." Zig-zag said. "It's from Ella and the others."

I got up and looked over his shoulder. Zig-zag opened a screen and the faces of Ella and Lexie appeared.

"Thank goodness you're all alright." Ella sighed. "It's past midnight! We were getting so worried."

Ziggy rubbed his head sheepishly. "Sorry, forgot to update you guys."

"Val, are you ok?" Lexie asked.

"Just fine." I said, forcing a smile.

"What is wrong?" Ell asked.

"Nothing, it's just that we came all this way to find that the Star Saber is just a rusty piece of junk and if Val takes it she'll plunge directly into the earth's core." Lola said.

Ella's eyes widened in alarm. "You found an entrance to the core?"

We nodded.

The old woman frowned. "I must speak with Val alone, please."

Lexie looked at her questioningly but left, we could hear her leaving the camper.

"Uh, Ella, we really need to use this laptop to cover the signal." Zig-zag said.

"It is urgent." Ella said. "Please, I must speak with Val alone."

Lola and Ziggy looked at me, I just shrugged. I took the laptop and walked several yards away from everyone, hopefully out of hearing range from any Autobots.

I sat down on a stump. "What do you need to tell me?"

"I've been looking into some of our histories since your arrival and have discovered some…unsettling things that you must know before you continue your journey." Ella said, there was worry and sadness in her eyes that made her seem thousands of years old.

"What kinds of things?" I asked.

Ella breathed deeply and stared straight at me. "Your family's past…and your future."

***Insert ominous music here* Uh-oh Val is about to get one unwelcomed history lesson. **

**Until next time, dear readers. **

**Bye-bye.**


	20. Family History and Bleak Future

**ACHOO! Oops, sorry *wipes computer screen with tissue* I have a cold (which seems impossible considering all the freaky warm weather we've been having), but that won't stop me from posting! This chapter is a bit depressing. Please don't hate me for it. **

**I don't own transformers. Nor am I very good at writing in prose (you'll see in a minute). **

"You once asked about your ancestors' family name, I believe." Ella said.

I nodded. "Yeah, I said that Darby didn't exactly sound like a name belonging to an ancient clan. Why?"

"The truth is that your ancestors never had a family name."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

"They didn't need one." Ella said. "Their mere presence would signal who they were."

"I'm not following you."

Ella sighed. "Valerie, you are a descendant of the first and most powerful family of the _Spiritus_. Legend says that they were created by Gaea herself. Their eyes were molten gold and shining silver. They kept the peace and balance between this world and the other side. In a sense, they were royalty for our kind."

"Let me just go and polish my tiara." I mumbled. "So what does this have to do with me going into the planet's core? And wait, I thought a Spiritus' eye color depended on their family, how come theirs' are different from mine?"

"In a moment, please, let me continue. Your family held great power for thousands of years. But then, around the seventeenth century, they suddenly cut themselves off from the rest of the _Spiritus_, almost disappeared entirely. No one knew why until the prophecy was discovered."

"What prophecy?" I asked warily.

Ella breathed deeply, then began to recite:

"_To stop the great Earth Mother's plight,_

_A warrior of the firsts will be chosen to fight._

_One eye as white as summer's light,_

_The other as black as midwinter's night. _

_Send her to the dark one's heart, _

_Wherein she'll tear out that evil part. _

_Then at last Earth Mother can start, _

_To adorn the world in loving art. _

_The warrior shall make her final stand, _

_With love in her soul and Saber in her hand. _

_She'll banish the Chaos Bringer from the land, _

_But her heart shall burn as the Fates demand. _

_But from this warrior's demise,_

_A great power shall come in disguise. _

_From her earthy tomb it will rise, _

_A dragon to guard o'er the land and skies." _

I stared blankly at the screen. "…I…don't understand…why..."

_But her heart shall burn as the Fates demand. _

Ella's eyes glistened with tears. "I am sorry to burden you with this, but I thought it only right that you should know before you continue."

"But…why do I have to die?" I asked softly.

"That is the only way to defeat the Chaos bringer." Ella said. "It has to do with your method of Expulsion, even if you are using the Star Saber. I did not lie when I said it was dangerous. You see, when a _Spiritus_ summons a weapon, that weapon is formed solely from the power of their heart. If a _Spiritus _puts too effort into Expelling a spirit…their heart will literally…burn away."

_But her heart shall burn as the Fates demand. _

So this is what Dad had been trying to protect me from; what he'd refused to tell me for so many years. Had he really thought that he could keep the prophecy from affecting me? That hiding me away, refusing to tell me anything would keep me safe? It didn't matter, the prophecy had found me anyway. I was going to die; it spelled that out simple and clear.

I had to die.

No choice in the matter, I had to die.

I didn't realize I was crying until I felt a teardrop drip onto my hand.

Ella was crying too. "I'm so sorry child."

That look on her face, so much like that of a parent's, made me lose the last of my control.

"Goodbye Ella." I choked out, slapping the laptop shut.

I collapsed onto the ground, hugging my knees to my chest, and started to sob. My breath came in gasps as my vision blurred with tears. Right then I wanted nothing more than to be six years old again, wrapped in my mother's safe arms, protected from the world. But I'd never get to see my mother again. Not in this life at least.

I'd never get to see Jack, never celebrate another birthday or holiday with Zig-zag and Lola, never go back to Seattle…I'd didn't think I'd have so many things that I would regret not doing. But now they came full blast, streaming through my mind.

It just wasn't fair.

Why must I die?

Prima's word from what seemed like forever ago echoed in my mind: _"Are you going to let your planet and all you care about perish?"_

A flickering flame came on inside of me with that thought. If I didn't die, then Unicron would awaken, and then everyone: Mom, Jack, Lola, Zig-zag, Optimus, and everyone else I cared about would all die. I was sitting here, drowning in self pity while the world was balancing on the tip of a knife. No one else could do this. It was just me. And I wasn't about to let everything be destroyed just because I was afraid of dying. We'd all end up dying if I did.

With each passing second my resolve got stronger and stronger. My breath became steadier, my tears dried up. I stood up, breathing deeply.

I had to do this.

And no one, not even Optimus, was going to stop me.

A plan slowly began to form in my mind. Composing myself, I picked up the laptop and walked back to the others. They were conversing casually, nothing about their demeanors said that they'd heard what Ella had said. Good thing too, because my plan wouldn't work if they had. I needed them to think that I was going with them.

I handed the laptop to Zig-zag. "Here you go, sorry for the hold up."

"What did Ella say?" Lola asked.

"Just trying to give some last minute advice on Expelling a spirit." I said nonchalantly, glad that the night helped hide my still slightly red and puffy eyes. "So how soon can you get that cloak up and running?"

"In a few hours." Zig-zag said.

"And I guess there's nothing I can really do to help?" I asked.

Zig-zag laughed, already typing away. "I doubt you'd understand even half of what I'm doing."

"So I guess I should just stand around being bored?" I asked.

"That'd probably be for the best." He said.

I sighed. "Maybe I'll go take a nap."

"That doesn't sound like a half bad idea." Lola yawned. "I certainly could use the beauty rest."

"Got that right." Ziggy chuckled.

Lola slapped him upside the head.

I took a mental picture of them, smiling and joking about. I doubted it I'd ever see them like that again. I walked away from the group a bit and sat down on the ground, not even a minute later heavy, recognizable footsteps followed.

"Val," Optimus said. I didn't bother turning around. "What did Ella say to you?"

"It told you, it was some last minute advice."

"If it were simply that, then why have you been crying?" he asked.

I stiffened; leave it to Optimus to be the only one who noticed.

"It's nothing." I said.

Optimus crouched beside me, gently placing a finger under my chin to turn my head towards him.

"What has upset you?"

I frantically thought of something. "You want to know why I'm upset? I'm upset because of the double standard."

"I do not understand." Optimus said.

"I mean I'm upset by the fact that it's perfectly fine for you to risk your life to stop Unicron but when I have to do it you go and throw temper tantrum!"

"Val—"

"I'm an adult; I can make my own decisions. I don't need you hovering over me." I said, the words were coming easily because they were true. I remembered the hurt I'd felt when we left the Star Saber, and that helped add fuel to the fire. "I'm supposed to stop Unicron, so why won't you let me? Is it because I'm human, is that it? You don't think a human can handle it?"

"No—"

"Then is it because I'm a woman?"

"No—"

"Is it because I'm, like, a thousand years younger than you?" I asked

"No—"

"Then why—"

"Because my spark will not allow it!" Optimus said. "Risking your life, it does not feel right in my spark. I have been to the earth's core, I have stood before Unicron, and each time I picture you down there I…I…" He gripped his helm, desperately searching for words. "I cannot send you down there. I simply cannot."

"But you don't get to decide that." I said softly.

"Then what would you do, if the roles were reversed?" Optimus asked. "What would you do?"

"You've already been to the core." I pointed out.

"Answer the question." He said.

I thought for a moment; what would I do? If I knew that Optimus was going to the core with little hope of returning, would I let him leave? I knew that_ I_ would not return, and I thought about what it would be like if Optimus didn't return. There'd be no rumble of that deep baritone voice, no calm blue eyes, and that soft smile; he really needed to smile more often, it made him look younger, less war weary. As I thought of that my heart seemed to stutter a bit. An ache ran through my body and I suddenly wanted to start crying again.

"I'd fight it." I said at last. "I'd fight tooth and nail to keep you here."

Optimus nodded. "You understand."

"Yes." I said. "But I also know that you'd still go, because you knew it'd be the right thing to do."

Optimus sighed. "There is no right way to end this, is there?"

I shook my head. "I don't think so."

We slipped into silence, staring up at the stars. Tears threatened to escape again as I thought of what I'd have to put Optimus through. I didn't want to hurt him like that, for him to feel that loneliness. And that's when Ironhide's words began to sink in. Their meaning gave me such a shock that I almost broke into hysteric giggles.

There was something between Optimus and I. Had been for awhile. It might not yet be love, but it was heading that way and it was heading that way _fast_. I glanced over at Optimus, wondering if he knew. Maybe he didn't, and maybe that was for the best.

How ironic: I start to fall in love right before I die.

Add that to the fact that I fell for an alien robot and I'd say that the universe has a twisted sense of humor.

"Val, you are crying." Optimus said softly.

"Am I?" I hadn't realized; stupid tears. I quickly wiped my eyes. "I think I'll hit the sack. Wake me when Ziggy gets a signal." I laid down and rolled onto my side, facing away from Optimus.

He didn't offer to have me sleep inside his alt mode. He knew I'd refuse. But he didn't move either. He sat there watching, making sure I didn't leave. I wasn't going to. Not yet at least.

I shut my eyes, not sleeping. No, I couldn't sleep. I was making plans.

And summoning spirits.

**Yeah I know, you all probably hate me. But just hang in there! I promise everythings going to be explained in the next couple of chapters. **

**Next chapter: Ratchet and the others finally come into the story and Val goes after the Star Saber. **

**Just so you know, the story will be switching between third p.o.v. and Val's for the next few chapters. **

**That's it for now.**


	21. Communication and Doppelganger

**So, uh, here's chapter 21. Please don't completely hate it. **

**I don't own transformers.**

The overall attitude in the Autobot base had become bleak to say the least. For over a month they had searched for their leader but found nothing. The Autobots and their human friends both feared for Optimus' safety. With his memories gone he could be easily manipulated by Megatron. Each passing day only served to increase their anxiety. And every day the Autobots searched the globe, and every day they came back empty handed.

That day seemed no different than its predecessors. It started the same as the others before it: Ratchet was up before dawn, running various frequencies, desperately trying to locate Optimus' energy signature. The other Autobots rose soon after him, wanting to hear good news from him but expecting none. Arcee, Bulkhead, and Bumblebee left to take their charges to school. Despite their predicament, they never ceased to guard Jack, Miko, and Raf.

And so Ratchet was left alone at base again, searching the frequencies for a beacon of hope. Other than the noise coming from the monitors, the base was silent. At one point Ratchet would have welcomed the peace and quiet, but now the silence left a hollow feeling in the medic.

The proximity sensors blared to life, alerting Ratchet of Agent Fowler's arrival. Fowler stepped out of the elevator, his face grim.

"Anything?" he asked.

Ratchet shook his head.

"This is ridiculous! I've got a chip lodged in my behind that lets Uncle Sam know when I stop for donuts yet we can't find Prime!" Fowler huffed irately. "It's been over a month! For all we know Megatron has killed him, or worse, brainwashed Optimus into thinking he's a 'Con!"

"We are all well aware of that, Agent Fowler!" Ratchet snapped. "Stating the obvious will not improve matters!"

Before Fowler could respond, a sharp beep from one of the monitors caught their attention.

"What's that?" Fowler asked.

"An encrypted frequency." Ratched said, typing quickly.

"From where and who?" Fowler demanded.

"Unclear, the coordinates are heavily cloaked." Ratchet said. "I need to get a stronger lock on the signal."

The sound of static filled the monitors.

_"…ello…" _

Ratchet was now typing furiously. "Let me adjust the wavelengths and…"

A young man's voice poured through the monitors. _"Hello? Hello? Are there any Autobots picking this up? Calling all Autobots. Calling all Autobots. Come on, somebody please pick up, I can't keep this up for long." _

"This is Autobot outpost Omega-one." Ratchet said. "Who is this?"

A wild cheer could be heard through the static. _"I got them! Guys I got them. Oh man you have no idea great your voice sounds, whoever you are." _

"Identify yourself." Ratchet barked.

_"Oh right, sorry, this is Zacharian Laprin, Lola Allios, Valerie Darby, and—ow! Lola why the heck did you hit me?" _

A female voice could be heard in the background. _"You idiot, don't give him our names. Let Ironhide or one of the others talk." _

Ratchet stiffened at hearing the weapons specialist's name. Perhaps there was a glimmer of hope after all.

"Identify yourselves now!" Ratchet demanded.

_"Still as grouchy as ever, you old lug nut." _Chuckled a familiar voice.

Relief made Ratchet roar with laughter, making Agent Fowler jump.

"You're one to talk." Ratchet chuckled. "When did you arrive? Who else is with you? How come we didn't detect you on our scanners?"

_"Que cloaked the ship."_ Ironhide said.

Ratchet let out a groan. "And then he blew the ship up afterwards, I'm guessing?"

_"Obviously." _Ironhide chuckled. _"Besides me and the mad scientist, Chromia is here as well, so is Perceptor, and that Wrecker Wheeljack. And, saving the best for last, we also—what is that sound?" _

The young man's voice came through the monitors now. _"I told you we only have a certain amount of time to talk. Now I have to reboot the system otherwise the Decepticons will pick up the signal. Listen, Ratchet is it? Keep this channel open. We'll contact you again in about a half an hour." _

_ "We'll supply coordinates for a groundbridge then too." _Ironhide added before the transmission cut out abruptly.

Fowler stared at the monitor. "What was that all about?"

Ratchet turned towards him, grin lighting up the medic's face for the first time in what felt like a _long_ time. "That, Agent Fowler, was the first good news we've heard in quite awhile."

"It sounds like they have some humans with them." Fowler said, bringing out a cell phone. "I better run a background check on them to be on the safe side. Did you catch their names?"

Ratchet replayed part of the transmission. Agent Fowler paused upon hearing the last name, _Darby._ He shook his head, it was probably a coincidence; Darby didn't sound like an uncommon name. Fowler contacted headquarters and asked them to run a background check. The reply came in a matter a minutes for the first two. Zacharian Laprin: age twenty, some minor offenses in computer hacking but nothing serious. He must have been the voice they'd heard over the transmission. Then there was Lola Allios: age nineteen, records were a bit sketchy due to her moving around in foster care, she had some small run-ins with the law, but like Laprin, none were serious. Records showed both of them lived in Seattle, Washington.

Then there was Valerie Darby: age twenty-two. All that Fowler's contacts could come up with was some basic facts. She was a young cop. Her father, Robert Darby, had been on the Seattle police force as well when he was killed just over five years ago. Not much other background information could be found. It seemed that someone had tampered with her records.

At his insistence, Fowler's CIA contacts rechecked, looking over any hidden details. Several more minutes passed before they found any new information to tell him. And what they told him nearly made Fowler drop his phone.

_Should've known, there's no such thing as coincidence._ Agent Fowler thought as he walked back to Ratchet.

Ratchet glanced up. "I've contacted the others; they're in route as we speak. The children are with them as well."

Fowler nodded. "Contact Ms. Darby too. She needs to hear this."

* * *

><p>Arcee was the last to arrive at base, having had to turn around to pick up Jack's mother. She and her two passengers entered to find the base buzzing with excited chatter.<p>

"What's all the excitement about?" Jack asked, taking off his helmet and helping his mom off the bike.

Bumblebee let out several excited whirrs.

"More Autobots are coming!" Raf translated.

"And Wheeljack is one of them." Bulkhead added excitedly.

"More Autobots?" Arcee asked, transforming and walking to stand next to Ratchet. "Who?"

The medic turned toward her. "The scientists Perceptor and Que, Ironhide—"

"Ironhide?" Arcee asked. "Then is Chromia with him?"

Ratchet smiled and nodded.

Arcee almost felt like laughing. Finally, things were starting to look up.

A loud throat-clearing drew everyone's attention to Agent Fowler, who had been rather quiet throughout the excitement.

Fowler walked down the steps as he spoke. "It also appears that the 'Bots have a few human civilians with them."

"_More_ people are coming?" Miko sighed. "Whatever happened to this being a _secret _base?"

"I've done background checks on them, and they're all legit." Fowler said. "But there is one that…" He paused, "Ms. Darby, you're probably wondering why I called you here."

"Well I'm glad to hear the good news, but I'm not sure why I need to be here." Ms. Darby said.

"Well, one of the humans…well…" Fowler looked from Ms. Darby to Jack, desperately searching for the right words. "There is a young woman that…" he sighed, there was no way to put this delicately. "Ms. Darby, when was the last time you heard from your daughter?"

The whole room fell quiet, all eyes falling on June, who stood there staring at Agent Fowler.

"Daughter? What are you talking about?" Jack asked, looking confusedly between his mother and Fowler.

"One of the civilians is named Valerie Darby." Agent Fowler said. "It took several searches, but we—"

"Is she alright?" June interrupted. "Is Val alright?"

"We have yet to hear back from them." Ratchet said quietly.

"And what about Robert?" June asked.

"He died five years ago." Fowler said.

June began to tremble. "I never thought…" she broke off with a soft sob.

Jack placed a hand on his mother's shoulder. "Mom, what's going on?"

Ms. Darby turned toward her son. "I'm sorry I never told you, Jack. But you were so young and I didn't know how to tell you." She took a deep breath. "You were little over a year old when your father left, taking Valerie with him. She's six years older than you. I never understood why Robert left. He seemed so happy, and then one night he and Valerie were just gone."

"Was there any indication as to why he left?" Agent Fowler asked.

June shook her head. "All he left was a note saying that he was sorry, that he loved us, but he and Valerie had to leave, and that we shouldn't go looking for them."

Jack stared at his mother, feeling stunned and hurt to discover he had a sibling no one had told him of. But seeing the pain in his mother's eyes made him forget his own, and Jack quickly wrapped his mom in a tight hug.

"I'm so sorry." June whispered. "I didn't know what to do."

The others stood around awkwardly, unsure of how to take in this family issue. Their discomfort was short lived when the monitors whirred to life and an off-key voice could be heard singing:

_"Ninety-nine bottles of energon on the wall, ninety-nine bottles of energon! Take one down, pass it around ninety-eight bott—ow! Lola will you quit smacking me in the head!" _

_ "Just let Ironhide talk. Before you scare the other Autobots away with you screeching." _

Ratchet moved to the monitor. "Ironhide, are you there?"

_"Yeah, I'm here." _Ironhide replied.

_ "Mind if I cut in too?"_ Wheeljack interrupted.

"Wheeljack!" Bulkhead roared. "You have no idea how glad we are to hear you guys!"

"Indeed." Ratchet said. "Supply coordinates and we'll prepare a groundbridge. There is much we need to discuss. You should know that Optimus—"

_"We know."_ Ironhide and Wheeljack said.

"You know about Optimus losing his memories?" Arcee asked, stunned. "But how?"

_"A friend of yours told us."_ Ironhide said mischief clear in his tone.

"What friend?" Ratchet asked.

_"Why don't you talk to him yourself?"_ Wheeljack said.

"Wheeljack, now ain't the best time for jokes." Bulkhead said.

_"I agree, Bulkhead."_ Came a deep, familiar baritone voice that made everyone freeze. _"So it is fortunate, then, that this is not a joke." _

The base exploded in an uproar.

"Optimus?"

"Optimus!"

"Optimus!"

Everyone swarmed to the monitor, desperate to hear the Prime's voice.

"Optimus, is it really you?" Ratchet asked in disbelief.

_"Yes old friend, it is I."_ Optimus said.

Relief nearly made Ratchet's knee joints go weak. "What happened? How…how…"

_"It is a long story to tell."_ Optimus said. _"But I'm afraid time is short. We will supply coordinates, and await the groundbridge." _

Miko looked over at the location on the screen. "What the heck are they doing in Alaska?"

"What does it matter?" Arcee asked. "Let's just bring them home."

* * *

><p>"Alright guys!" Zig-zag called. "Let's pack it up, and get ready to move."<p>

Lola watched the Autobots gather what supplies they had, talking excitedly amongst themselves. Turning, she spotted Val still sitting in the same spot she had fallen asleep in. walking over to her friend; Lola gave Val's shoulder a shake.

"Come on Val, let's get going." Lola said.

The dark-haired girl rose quietly, eyes downcast. Lola felt sad for her friend; Val had been feeling down ever since they had tried to get the Star Saber. Add that to the fact that she was meeting her family for the first time in fifteen years and it wasn't hard for Lola to guess why Val was so quiet.

They walked over to the group. Lola noticed Optimus glance several times at Val, but the girl still stared at the ground. Lola wrapped an arm around her shoulder, lending the her support.

There was a sudden flash of light, and a large tunnel appeared in the air. The groundbridge was ready.

"This is so exciting!" Zig-zag shrieked, jumping up and down.

Lola rolled her eyes at his antics.

Optimus led the way into the groundbridge, followed closely by Ironhide and Chromia, then Perceptor, Que, and Ziggy, Lola and Val walked behind them with Wheeljack taking up the rear. Groundbridging was the strangest thing Lola had ever experienced. Her whole body vibrated, even her bones. Then there was another flash of light and they entered a large open area. There were walkways all around them, giant computer monitors, and the walls and ceiling seemed to be made of sandstone. The groundbridge shut off with another flash.

_Great, another cave._ Lola thought.

There was a soft tap on her arm. She looked to find Val discreetly holding a rumpled note to her. Lola took it with a questioning look, but Val avoided her gaze. The commotion around the base drew Lola's attention away. She saw Chromia embrace a darker blue 'Bot that Lola guessed was her sister. Wheeljack smacked a large green Autobot on the shoulder. Ironhide and a white and orange 'Bot were talking each other, shaking hands. But soon everone's attention fell on Optimus.

"Optimus, what happened?" Bulkhead asked. "Last we saw, you left with Megatron through the Decepticon's groundbridge. How'd you escape?"

"I believe I would still be aboard the _Nemesis_ if it were not for these three humans." Optimus said, gesturing to Ziggy, Lola, and Val. "I owe my rescue to them, particularly to Val…" Optimus quieted as he watched June walk slowly over to the girl.

Lola knew without a doubt that the woman was Val's mom. She gave her friend's shoulder a sympathetic squeeze then walked away a bit. Lola unfolded the note as she did. Inside was what looked to be a hastily written poem. Lola quirked her head to the side: why was Val writing poetry? As she read on, her heart began to sink. Then beneath the poem were several sentences.

_I'm sorry. But I have to do this. You guys deserve to know what's going to happen. I love you all. _

_ Val. _

This didn't make sense, why would Val write this note if she came along? Lola stared at her friend. Why? Then something caught her attention: if she turned her head slightly Val looked blurry around the edges. Lola remembered her friend avoiding her gaze, refusing to speak. She flashed back to when they had called Optimus over to talk, the few moments that Val was left alone.

Lola trembled as realization hit her: Val would only need a few moments to pull a trick.

Meanwhile June Darby approached the dark-haired girl. With trembling hands she grasped the girl's shoulders.

"Are you Valerie Darby?' June asked softly. "Are you? Was your father Robert Darby?"

The girl said nothing, eyes staring at the floor.

June gave her a little shake. "Do you know who I am? Answer me, please. Are you Valerie Darby?"

"No she isn't." said the brown-haired girl who came to stand next to June. "That isn't Val."

The silence in the base was deafening.

"What the hell are you talking about Lola?" said the pale boy standing next to Que. "Of course that's Val."

"No, Zig-zag, whatever it is, it isn't Val." Lola said, she grabbed June's arm and started to pull her away.

"What are you doing?" June demanded.

"Listen to me, Ms. Darby." Lola said. "That isn't Val."

Optimus began to walk towards them. "Lola, I do not understand."

Lola turned toward Optimus, frantically holding out a piece of paper. "She left a note, Optimus. She's going after the Star Saber."

Optimus stiffened.

"The Star Saber? What are you talking about?" Ratchet asked.

"She's going to finish off Unicron." Lola said, her voice started to break into sobs. "And she's going to die in the process."

"Ratchet, open the groundbridge." Optimus ordered.

_"You will not."_ Hissed a voice. Everyone froze at the sound. They turned toward being that looked like Val.

"What are you?" Lola demanded, still dragging June away.

The being looked up and Lola blanched when she saw its eyes. They were pure white, no irises or pupils. The creature's form began to change too, the face shifted, as did the height, the hair, and clothes. It seemed like it couldn't pick a single form to stop on; it was in a constant state of flux.

_"I am a doppelganger." _It said.

"Why are you here?" Lola asked.

_"To ensure you do not leave."_ It replied. _"Where the warrior goes, you cannot follow." _

"We'll see about that." Ironhide snarled. "Ratchet, the groundbridge."

Ratchet reached for the groundbridge controls, but jerked back when he felt a sticky substance against his hand. Looking down, he saw the controls were covered in…a spider web?

An ear-shattering scream echoed through the base. Everyone turned to find Miko staring wide-eyed at something.

Bulkhead followed her gaze then let out a string of Cybertronian curses.

Hovering over the groundbridge entrance was a massive spider.

"Anansi." Zig-zag sqeaked, ducking behind Que.

_"You did not think that I would be the only one, did you?" _The doppelganger asked.

A feline snarl erupted from seemingly nowhere. A huge, armored, cat-headed woman appeared beside the imposter.

"Bast." Lola said.

There was a rustle of wings then a white-haired, Viking-armored woman dropped from the ceiling.

"Valkyrie." Optimus said grimly.

"Optimus, what is all of this?" Arcee asked, staring in disbelief at the creatures before them.

"They are spirits of this planet, sent to do the bidding of the one they have a contract with." Optimus replied.

_"Yes,"_ the doppelganger hissed. "_And the one whom we hold contract with says we must not allow you to leave." _

"You will not stop me." Optimus said, battlemask activating. "Not if Val's life is at risk."

_"You have no choice."_ The doppelganger said. _"This must happen. Not even a Prime can stop it." _ The doppelganger turned to the other spirits. _"Remember your orders. No one is to pass. We will fight if we must. We will stand until the warrior stands no longer." _

* * *

><p>A moment, that was all it took. Optimus was distracted by the communications for just a moment. But that was all I needed to make the switch.<p>

It had taken me hours to find the right spirit for the job. And then I had to sort out exactly how to get the others inside the base as well. Eventually I had them just hitch-hike on the doppelganger. So when it entered the base, Anansi and the others would too. It felt strange having the spirits leave me. Not having their slight presence in the back of my mind made me feel empty. But it had to be done.

After the doppelganger was in place, I sprinted through the forest. I didn't wait to see them leave, there wasn't time. I arrived at the base of the mountain, looking up to where the cave was. There was no way I could climb it in time, but that didn't matter. I still had one last trick up my sleeves.

_The dragon. _

My fingers touched the tattoo on my collarbone. I had all but forgotten it during the journey, but now I couldn't stop thinking about it.

_The dragon. _

Would this be the creature that was supposed to rise from my tomb, wherever that was?

I shook my head, banishing the thought. There was no point in wondering. The tattoo had been saved for a purpose, and now was the time to use it.

What other creature could withstand the pressure of falling into the earth's core? What other creature had skin thick enough to survive the radiation of the vast amount of dark energon waiting for me? What other creature had such a strong link to the earth?

The dragon would make a great guardian indeed.

I closed my eyes, tapping into the power. I gasped as a blazing warmth spread through my whole body. Opening my eyes I saw my whole body covered with black, scaly armor. I looked over my shoulder and saw two enormous black dragon wings sprouting from my back. They were fierce and wild looking, almost the exact opposite of the Valkyrie wings, and yet they had a beauty all of their own.

I crouched then jumped, the dragon wings sending me shooting through the air faster than the Valkyrie wings ever did. Arriving at the cave in a matter of seconds, I entered and traveled through the tunnel. It was pitch dark, yet I could see perfectly. I walked toward the Star Saber; the dragon armor seemed to grow warmer the closer I came. I grasped the handle. Despite it being rusty, the saber was a perfect fit, like it had been made for me, like it had been waiting for me.

I took a deep breath then pictured my spirit sword in my mind. Heat flashed through my hand into the saber. The rust seemed to melt away as the blade mended itself.

My heart gave the tiniest stutter as this happened.

Now all that was left was to pull the Star Saber free and fall to the core.

I took a moment to breath.

Then another.

There was absolutely no sound in the cavern. Like the earth itself was holding its breath for me.

I took one last breath then pulled the sword free.

The ground rumbled and cracked beneath me, but I didn't run. The whole cave shook, and then the floor gave way.

And down I fell.

**I know I didn't say much about Arcee and the others but for right now that's all you get. There's going to be much more interaction in later chapters and in the sequel. Yes, there is definitely going to be a sequel. But this story isn't over yet. Just hang in there everybody!**


	22. As Fate Demands

**Sorry for the delay. Thursday, Friday, and Saturday had me busy with the school's musical **_**Hello Dolly**_**. I gotta say, even though I enjoyed myself I'm glad it's over, there's only so many times I can play **_**Waiter's Gallop**_** without wanting to poke my eyes out (I almost broke a cello string during one of the showings) . Anyway, after that was over the plot bunnies in my mind decided to form a union and go on strike. So there I was: desperately wanting to get this chapter written but it was like dragging my dog to the vet: it wasn't coming easily even if I offered it doggy biscuits. I ended up writing small chunks of it over the past few days. Hope you like it. **

** I don't own transformers.**

Warm air whooshed past me as I descended into the darkness. Despite the dragon's amazing vision I still couldn't see a thing. I kept my wings tucked to increase speed. I started to count to myself. _One Mississippi, two Mississippi, three Mississippi—_my ears popped from the pressure, I gave my head a shake and continued counting. _Four Mississippi, five Mississippi. _About a hundred and eight Mississippi's later I felt the air change. The tunnel began to open up. I flared my wings and slowed. A dull purple glow entered my field of vision, and I could see a massive chamber with metal archways crisscrossing through it. The violet light pulsed through the stone. I landed on the nearest archway, flapping my wings to keep me steady. The metal beneath me shuddered and the purple glow—dark energon—pulsed brightly. I could feel the hatred and malice but the radiation could not make it past the dragon armor. I realized, with horrified fascination, that since I was inside Unicron, I was undoubtedly standing on his veins. I was an invading virus and a fatal one at that.

I walked across the archway, guided by some force—possibly the Star Saber or my own instinct—I wasn't entirely sure. The back of my neck prickled with the sense that I was being watched. But nothing happened, no defense mechanism of any kind occurred. Unicron must still have been using most of his powers to fight Gaea and the Matrix. I hoped they would hold out until I got there.

Another tremor shook the cavern.

* * *

><p>The ground rumbled beneath the Autobots' feet.<p>

"_She has reached the core."_ The doppelganger hissed.

"How could a human survey a journey to the earth's core?" Ratchet demanded. "The pressure alone would be enough to kill them."

"There's one thing you gotta know about Valerie Darby, Ratchet." Ironhid said, not taking his eyes, or his cannons, off the spirits. "She ain't a normal human."

"That is not reason enough to let her sacrifice herself." Optimus all but growled. "Stand aside spirits."

The Valkyrie took a step forward. _"Optimus Prime, you are a great leader, you have accomplished many feats thought to be impossible, but this is one thing you cannot stop. The girl's fate has been written long before she was born." _

"And what of Val's right to chose?" Optimus demanded.

The Valkyrie smiled sadly. _"She chose to accept her fate."_

* * *

><p>My path led me to a giant metal wall. It might've put a slow on my progress if it weren't for several large holes that were ripped into it. I wondered if Optimus and the other Autobots had put them there when they had come to stop Unicron.<p>

I stepped through and immediately knew I'd reached my destination. Dark aura rippled through the air, making my hair stand up on end. The chamber itself was nothing special: plain metal walls and floor. But taking up the space in the center was a vast cloud of dark violet light, a living mass of power.

Unicron's soul.

And right then it looked like it was fighting itself.

Bolts of purple energy would explode and shoot, not at me, but inward. At first, I couldn't understand why Unicron would be attacking himself. Then I saw it. In the center of the violet flames was an orb with two handles on either side of it. The orb was emitting a bluish-white glow.

It was the Matrix of Leadership.

The Matix seemed to be holding its own against Unicron's attacks, but I noticed the glow was very dim; the metal of the orb had a scratched, tarnished look to it. The Matrix was indeed failing.

I took a step forward. It was then that Unicron became fully aware of my presence. The violet light took the shape of a pair of glaring eyes and snarling mouth. I tried not to flinch as Unicron let loose an enraged roar that shook me to my bones.

"_Parasite!"_ he hissed. _"How dare you enter my spark chamber!"_

"I'd say it's nice to meet you, except that it's entirely the opposite of that." I said. "Now I don't think introductions are necessary. I know you, and you obviously know about me or you wouldn't have sent those dark ghosts to try and off me."

_"You are a pawn to that blasted earth spirit." _Unicron spat_. "That disgusting creature slowed my awakening and now prevents my consciousness from leaving this chamber. Meanwhile that pitiful relic of the Prime tries to destroy me."_ He flinched as the Matrix sent out a feeble bolt. "_But even working in tandem, they cannot stop my rising."_

"Been there, heard that." I said. "Now shall I get on with the whole getting-rid-of-you thing?"

_"You cannot stop me, insect."_ He sneered. But there was a nervousness in his voice.

"You don't sound too confident."

_"I'll obliterate you!"_ Unicron growled.

I shrugged, ignoring the slight pain that ripped through me. "Apparently I'm supposed to die anyway. So I might as well knock off two birds with one stone."

Unicron roared and sent a bolt of violet energy hurtling toward me.

I dodged. "I guess this means the small talk is over."

Another bolt shot at me.

I leapt into the air, wings snapping open. I flew around Unicron's spark, dodging his attacks. The Star Saber glowed in my hands; now was the time. I concentrated on the blade, putting as much power into it. Oddly enough, my heart felt fine. I flew at Unicron's spark, slicing the Saber. The light shuddered as Unicron roared in pain, but other than that nothing happened. Whatever damage I had done had already begun to heal.

Unicron chuckled darkly. _"Did you really think your little tricks and an old blade could stop me?"_

He was right. Something wasn't working. I felt as if I was missing a piece of the puzzle. Suddenly Unicron sent a surge of energy at me. I didn't have time to dodge, but before it could hit me the Matrix sent out its own bolts, dissipating Unicron's attack. The blue-white glow began to flicker.

The Matrix sure wasn't looking too good.

The Matrix…

Alpha Trion's voice echoed in my mind. _When we Thirteen first defeated Unicron, we used the Star Saber. It is a legendary weapon that, when combined with the Matrix, holds incredible power. _

_ When combined with the Matrix. _

Of course, that's why the Saber didn't feel completely right. The blade was still missing an important piece.

And that piece happened to be floating right in the middle of Unicron's spark.

There was no other way to get it out. So screwing my courage to the sticking place, I dove into Unicron's spark. The cold and the evil nearly knocked me out. The dark aura sizzled against the dragon armor. I struggled to the center where I could see the Matrix. The closer I got the slower I moved.

_"You've doomed yourself now."_ Unicron's voiced echoed all around me.

I reached my hand out; only a little farther to go. My fingers brushed against the warm metal. The Matrix suddenly emitted a powerful light. The Star Saber warmed in response. I panicked for a moment when the blade left my hand, but it did not go far. The blade grew in size, the handle disappeared. The Matrix attached itself to the end, forming a new fiery hilt. The whole blade now glowed in blue-white fire.

_This_ was the Star Saber in true form.

I gripped the hilt and instantly felt a perfect connection; every atom of my being felt tied to its power.

It was time.

_"You will not stop me!"_ Unicron roared, though there was panic in his voice. _"I will rise. And when I do I will destroy everything you hold dear! Your precious planet. That blasted Prime. Everything!"_

"No you won't." I whispered, calm as ever.

I shut my eyes and let the power flow.

My heart began to pick up pace, growing warmer with each beat.

_Ta-thump. Ta-thump. Ta-thump. _

The Star Saber pulsed light to the rhythm. Unicron sent bolts of energy at me, but they dissipated almost instantly.

My heart was getting hotter and hotter.

_Ta-thump. Ta-thump. Ta-thump._

With each beat I picture those I cared for: my father, my mother, Jack, Lola, Zig-zag, all my friends back in Seattle, Ella and the other_ Spiritus_, Ironhide, Chromia, Wheeljack, Que, Perceptor, the other Autobots who I'd never get to meet.

My heart was searing with the blaze. Dimly I heard Unicron roaring in rage.

It wasn't long now. The beating was slowing. The final heartbeat was coming.

I thought of Optimus, picturing him with that soft smile of his.

_Ta-thump. _

I smiled. "Unicron, begone!"

I thrust the sword upward. The power shook the chamber and bathed it in blue-white light. Unicron screamed as his presence was forced out.

I watched his spirit disappear as I sunk to the floor of the chamber, my vision growing dimmer.

"I did it, Optimus, we won." I smiled, breathing in even though my chest felt hollow, so very light without a heart.

Darkness encroached, I felt myself slipping away. To where, I wasn't sure. But I didn't care. I had done what I was meant to do. I had no regrets

I had been valiant.

* * *

><p>Every<em> Spiritus<em> in the camp gasped as they felt a dark presence leave the earth. The feeling had been with them for so long that they had never realized it was there until it was gone. There was silence throughout the camp then wild cheers broke out.

Ella Longwing fell to her knees, hands clasped before her.

Tears glistened in her eyes. "Thank you Val."

* * *

><p>The spirits stiffened, all of them shuddered violently.<p>

A crystal tear slid down the Valkyrie's cheek. _"It is done." _

They faded away.

Silence filled the Autobot base. Then…

"VAL YOU IDIOT!" Lola screamed. She dropped to her knees and began to punch to floor, her body shaking with sobs.

Zig-zag walked over to Lola and wrapped her in a hug. The girl buried her head against his chest. Tears silently fell from Zig-zag's eyes.

June Darby stared at them, refusing to believe what the spirits' disappearance meant.

She turned to the Autobot leader. "Optimus, what happened? Where's Val? Where's my daughter?" she asked softly.

Optimus did not answer. He simply stared at the groundbridge. "Ratchet, do you still have the coordinates to the earth's core?"

The medic checked the monitor. "Yes, but…"

"Prepare the groundbridge." Optimus ordered, his voice lacking any life.

Ratchet's reply was hesitant. "We can't, Optimus. The readings that I'm getting from the core…they say it's heating up. The core is filling up with magma, erasing all of Unicron…and Valerie Darby…if she really is there."

Lola's sobs became louder. June trembled then turned and walked quickly out of the main hanger. Jack watched her leave, unsure whether or not to follow. Optimus continued to stare blankly at the groundbridge.

Ironhide approached him cautiously. "Prime, I'm sorry. She's gone."

Those words sent pain ripping through Optimus' spark. It was all the Prime could do to remain standing. Why? Why was it that after the eons spent at war, after seeing so many sparks extinguished, after losing countless comrades and friends, why now did his spark feel like it was being ripped in two? Images of the spirited young woman looped through his processor, each one sending a fresh wave of agony. For the first time in a long time Optimus wanted to scream, to cry, to just let go and give himself to grief. He opened his mouth, but no bellow of rage and sadness escaped, no cry of pain. No, the only sound that came out was barely more than a whisper. Yet it echoed in the minds of everyone around him.

"Val…"

* * *

><p>The ancient cave hummed with energy. Along its walls carvings of every language were inscribed in the stone. The etchings all said the same words: <em>life, death,<em> and _rebirth._ The cavern was a place of change; a rite of passage. For thousands of years it had waited for the one to come. And that day had finally arrived. The earth goddess's entrance was quiet yet it stirred the cave's energy into a frenzy. No longer bound to the Chaos Bringer, Gaea glowed with newfound freedom and power. She was overjoyed to be rid of the dark presence that had been with her since earth's creation, but her joy had a bittersweet tinge to it. Its source came from the body of the young girl she held in her arms. The girl looked so small cradled in the goddess's arms; her hands still held onto the Star Saber, and on her collarbone a faint tattoo of a dragon could be seen.

Gaea gave a sad smile. "I am sorry I did not tell you, Val. I feared that you would refuse to help. But I should have never doubted you. Your courage was legendary."

Gaea paused, almost hoping the girl would respond. But of course no answer came.

The goddess sighed. "It seems so cruel; I've asked you to give up so much: your friends, your family, your life. But believe me, child, your story is still far from over."

With those words, Gaea set the girl down in the center of the cave. The Star Saber glowed and rose to hover over the body.

Gaea turned toward the blade. "Well Primus, it's time you and I made a deal. You see, I need a dragon, and you need another hero. I just so happen to know a soul worthy enough to be both. So what say you?"

The Saber glowed brighter. The Matrix broke away from the hilt of the blade and floated up to the ceiling, bathing the chamber in blue-white light.

Gaea smiled. "Take what resources you need from me. Remember, she will be of your world as well as mine." With that the goddess vanished.

The carvings on the walls began to glow, heating the cave. The blade of the Star Saber began to descend toward the girl's body. The tip of the Saber sunk into the girl's chest, right where her heart used to be. The Matrix sent a bolt of white energy to the blade. The Saber trembled and began to morph, folding in on itself until it formed an orb. The orb rested peacefully in the girl's chest. A moment passed and a soft white light flickered inside the orb. It was as small as a candle's flame at first, but it grew brighter and brighter with each passing second.

The Matrix thrummed, summoning minerals from the earth.

And the transformation began.

**Hope you liked this chapter. Next chapter should hopefully be easier to write. Hopefully. Val has a conversation with her dear old Dad, and Jack uses the Key to Vector Sigma (it's not going to be use the same way it was in the show, no visits to Cybertron). **

** That's it for now.**

** See-ya!**


	23. Father, Sister, and Brother

**Alrighty, next chapter is up. Only two or three more until the end *cries a little*. **

** I don't own transformers.**

I wasn't sure how long I'd been drifting. At least I think I'd call it drifting. One minute I was in a soft haze, the next my consciousness flooded into me. My surroundings began to take shape. I gazed around watching the afterlife take form. And it looked like…

A waiting room?

I rubbed my eyes and looked again.

Yep. I was in one of those hospital waiting rooms, complete with off-white wall paint and itchy cloth seats. The room was completely empty except for me. There was one door, no TVs, and none of those year-old magazines; there wasn't even that annoying background music. The room was completely devoid of anything or anyone to talk to. Which made me wonder: who did I piss off to get stuck with this for my afterlife? I paced the length of the room; I tried the door but it wouldn't budge. I sighed and sat down in a seat.

"If I'm dead," I said, my voice echoing throughout the room. "Then I must be in hell."

"Technically, you're not dead. At least not anymore."

I whipped my head toward the voice, unable to believe my ears.

He stood in the corner, crooked smile, so very like my own, spread across his face.

"But if it makes you feel better," he said. "You gave it your best shot."

"Dad!" I yelled, jumping up and running to him.

I threw my arms around his neck, almost knocking him over.

He laughed. "Easy there, don't want to run your old man over." He hugged me tightly. "You've grown so much Val."

"I've missed you Dad." I choked out, tears sliding down my cheeks.

"I've missed you too kiddo." Dad said. "And for starters, I want to say sorry. I'm sorry for taking you away, hiding you from the world, keeping you away from your mother and brother."

I smiled sadly at him. "It's ok; I understand why you did it."

Dad grimaced. "Well it didn't do any good did it? Your fate caught up with you in the end."

"Yep, now I'm dead too. I hope the rest of the afterlife is a lot more interesting than this part." I frowned at my surroundings.

"Val, this isn't the afterlife." Dad said.

"What is it then?" I asked.

"It's kind of in between. It's, well, for all intended purposes it's a waiting room." Dad said.

"For what?"

Dad smiled. "Didn't you hear what I said?"

"Uh, that I gave it my best shot at dying?" I said.

Dad laughed. "Val, you're not dead."

I stared at him. "I'm not?"

"Not anymore."

"Oh, so I was dead."

"For a little while, yes." Dad said.

"So why am I not dead now? And if I'm not dead, why am I here?" I asked. "And why are you here? Not that I'm complaining or anything.

Dad smiled softly. "I'm just here to visit you and explain some of what's going to happen."

"And what's going to happen? How long am I supposed to stay here?"

"Slow down there." Dad said. "Gaea and Primus decided that you're of more use if you're alive, so they decided to bring you back."

"They can do that?"

"For special cases." Dad said. "Now as to why you're here, well you can't return to your body at the moment."

"Why?" I asked then smacked my forehead. "Right, duh, I have no heart."

"Not exactly." Dad said. "You see, your body is currently undergoing some changes."

"What kind of changes?" I asked warily.

"Your body is undergoing the transition from human to Cybertronian form." Alpha Trion suddenly appeared beside us, the same height as we were.

I was pretty sure my jaw dropped to the floor. "Come again?"

"Your organic form is changing into Cybertronian." Alpha Trion said.

I stared at him, mouth still agape.

Alpha Trion turned to my father. "Is she well?"

Dad laughed. "It's just shock. Give her a few seconds."

"So…" I said when I found my voice. "I'm going to be an Autobot? Like Optimus and the others?"

"Not exactly." Dad said.

"There are going to be several modifications to your frame." Alpha Trion stated. "There will be several human-like adaptations—like being able to produce your own energon like a human produces blood—that will be added. Your frame will also be much lighter, to increase flight speed."

"Flight?" I asked.

"Your body will be able to withstand all extreme temperatures." Alpha Trion continued. "There are modifications in your alt-mode that will allow you to breathe fire at a temperature equal to that of the surface of the sun."

"Whoa, whoa, whoa slow down there." I said, holding up my hands. "Flight? Breathing fire? I think I'm missing some details here."

"Val, you remember the prophecy, right?" Dad asked. "Do you remember the last stanza?"

I nodded. "Something about a dragon rising from my tomb." It had sounded a bit morbid to me.

"In all honesty, the prophecy meant that _you_ would come back as a dragon, not that the dragon would simply emerge from your tomb." Dad said.

I sat down in one of the seats and stared up at the two of them. "So I'm supposed to come back as a giant robotic dragon? That's a lot to unload on a girl who thought she was dead not that long ago."

"You've handle harder stuff than this." Dad said.

"Right." I sighed; I looked over at Alpha Trion. "So why are you here?"

"To train you on how to control your new form." Alpha Trion said.

"And how long will that take?" I asked.

Alpha Trion glanced at the door. "The amount of time is uncertain. As of now, the transition is almost complete, but your consciousness cannot enter your new form without the aid of Vector Sigma. And that can only occur with the Key to Vector Sigma."

"Please don't tell me that it's hidden in some mountain in Alaska too." I said.

Alpha Trion chuckled. "The Key's current location is in the Autobot base. It is in the possession of Jackson Darby."

I glared at Dad. "Did you know about this?"

Dad laughed sheepishly. "Yeah."

"So what's Jack supposed to do?" I asked.

"He must bring the Key to your body." Alpha Trion stated. "Only then can Vector Sigma transmit your consciousness back into your form."

"And how's he supposed to find my body?" I asked. "_I_ don't even know where my body is."

Dad smiled. "Don't worry too much about it. Jack is a Darby too. Things have a funny way of working out for us."

* * *

><p>Jack Darby stared at a wall of the base, trying to make sense of what had happened in the last few hours.<p>

_Sister_. He had a sister. And from what the newcomers had said, she was incredible. _Had been _incredible. The new Autobots had told them of their meeting with Valerie Darby. The pale boy Zig-zag told them what had happened before he, Lola—who had been crying too hard to say anything—Val, and Optimus had met up with them. The whole tale had seemed unbelievable if they themselves hadn't seen those spirits.

And his mother; his mother was inconsolable. He had found her a few hours later, sitting against a crate in one of the storage rooms, sobbing. Jack had wanted to comfort her, but he felt that his presence would only remind his mother of the loss of Val.

Val.

His sister.

Wasn't there anything about her that Jack could remember?

He sighed and sank into a nearby chair. They'd been at base for hours. Optimus had been dragged into the med-bay by Ratchet, the leader had not put up much protest, in fact he hadn't said a word. The other Autobots set about quietly finding rooms for themselves. Miko and Raf went with them. Agent Fowler had left. The newcomers, Lola and Zig-zag, were asleep on the couch, the occasional tear slipping down their cheeks. Other than those two and himself, the main hangar was completely vacant. Jack felt his eyes begin to close from fatigue, both physical and emotional. In a moment he was asleep.

_Soft sunlight filtered through a window and the bars of his crib. A jingling mobile decorated with little fish spun gently above him. Jack tried to speak but all that came out was a soft coo. He tried to reach up, but his hands were the pudgy, small hands of an infant._

_ "Psst." _

_The sound came from the left of him. Jack turned his head to see a set of grey-blue eyes staring back at him. A girl of about six with messy black pigtails grinned at him through the bars of his crib. _

"_Hiya." The girl said. "Hi Jack, I'm Valerie, but you can call me Val. I'm your big sister." The girl puffed up proudly. _

_Jack just garbled at her. _

_Val bounced up and down. "Just you wait, we're gonna have so much fun. I'm gonna be the bestest big sister in the world. I've got tons of games and stuff we can play. Oooh just wait until you play hide and seek! It so much fun, well not when you play with grown-ups 'cause they're not really good at hiding, but don't worry I'll teach you how to find all the good hiding spots. And I know lots of other stuff too. Wait right there." _

_It wasn't like Jack could go anywhere. _

_Val toddled off the returned a moment later dragging a big book. She opened it slowly then leaned it against the side of the crib with the pages facing Jack. It was a map of the U.S _

"_See this?" Val pointed excitedly at the map. "This book is called an atlas, my teacher told me about it. It shows all the land in the entire world. And my teacher told me that people can find places by using lines on the maps. She called it latitude and longitude. She said that latitude has an attitude so you have to use that line first then longitude. But I can't remember which one is which. Oh well." She shut the book with a thud. "Uh-oh, I think I hear Mommy. I better go. I'll see you soon Jackie!" _

_Val kissed her hand then reached through the bars of the crib to pat Jack's cheek. "Bye-bye Brother!" she chirped then ran off. _

_Jack lay there for a moment. Was this a memory? Or a dream? What meaning did this have other than to bring more sadness? _

_A breeze blew through the window, filling the room with the scent of springtime. _

"_You wondered if you had any memories of your sister. Now you have one. This was from your early childhood, when you were only a few days old in fact." A woman appeared in the room, her appearance was in a constant state of change and plants sprouted at her feet. _

_She picked up the atlas that Val had left and leaned over the crib. "Forgive me; it was my fault that your sister was taken from you. I'm sure the two of you would've grown to be as thick as thieves." The woman laughed softly then leaned closer. "Listen closely Jackson Darby. Your sister lives, though her human body is no more. She now takes the form of a Cybertronian. But she cannot awaken without the Key to Vector Sigma. This you must take to her." The woman flipped open the atlas to a map of Maine. "Forty-five degrees, fifty-four minutes North, sixty-eight degrees, fifty-five minutes West. And I suggest you hurry, the Matrix's signal will soon become visible to all, Decepticons included. Now go, Jack, and good-luck." _

_The woman snapped her fingers. _

Jack jolted awake, surprised to find a tear running down his cheek.

"Val." He whispered. Jack took the Key to Vector Sigma from his pocket. He'd kept it close and guarded like he'd promised Optimus, though Jack had never understood its purpose.

Now it was clear.

Jack hurried to a monitor and typed in the coordinates. Mt. Katahdin, the highest point in Maine. He glance over at the couch where Lola and Zig-zag slept. They were Val's friends and they deserved to know. Jack shook Zig-zag's shoulder

Ziggy blinked tiredly at him, a small smile on his face. "Oh, hey Va—" He stiffened and frowned when he realized it was Jack. "Oh, right. What do you need?"

"Val's alive." Jack said.

Zig-zag scowled. "Don't shit with me, kid. It's not funny."

"I don't shit with anybody." Jack snapped. "I prefer to do my shitting by myself."

His fiery tone made Zig-zag pause: it was so similar to Val's.

"What do you mean by Val's alive?" Ziggy asked warily.

Jack explained the dream he'd had, watching as Zig-zag's face changed from disbelief to shock to pure amazement and joy.

"The woman you described." Zig-zag said. "That was Gaea. This might actually be legit. Where'd the coordinates lead you?"

"A mountain in Alaska." Jack said.

"More mountains, that's just peachy. We better get moving then." It was Lola, a determined look in her tired eyes.

"How long have you been awake?" Ziggy demanded.

"Long enough." Lola said. "So let's go. Do you know how to activate that groundbridge?"

"We need to let the Autobots—"

"Leave them a note." Lola snapped, getting up and dragging Jack toward the groundbridge. "Val needs you now."

"And we're coming too." Zig-zag chimed in. "We've been through hell and back with Val."

"Plus I want to beat the crap out of her for dying." Lola growled. "So what's it going to be, little Darby?"

Jack stared at the Key in his hands then at the groundbridge. "Let's do this."

* * *

><p>Megatron glared at the earth that passed beneath the <em>Nemesis. <em>The Decepticon Leader's mood had gone from its usually bad to downright horrible over the past few days. The source of his ire was the fact that Orion Pax had disappear when a mysterious, and incredibly annoying, virus had swept through the ship. Megatron had sent dozens of drones out to search for him, but all came back with nothing to report, and the Autobots had given no indication of their leader's return. So Orion Pax's disappearance was a mystery.

And Megatron _hated_ mysteries.

The Decepticon lord turned at the sound of approaching footsteps. Soundwave stood before his master, expressionless as ever.

"What is it Soundwave?" Megatron snapped.

The screen over Soundwave's face turned on, showing a powerful signal frequency.

"I've seen that frequency before." Megatron muttered. "The Matrix of Leadership."

Soundwave nodded once.

Megatron chuckled. "It seems the relic of the Primes survived Unicron. I would hate to leave such an important artifact unguarded. Set the ship to those coordinates." He ordered.

* * *

><p>The monitors blared in the Autobot base, drawing the inhabitants to the main hangar.<p>

"What's with the noise?" Bulkhead asked.

"We're picking up a strong Cybertronian signature." Ratchet said.

"Uh, excuse me." Miko said.

"The signature matches…" Ratchet quieted.

"Uh, guys." Miko waved her hand.

"Matches what?" Ironhide asked.

Optimus gazed at the monitor, recognition entering his optics. "It is the Matrix of Leadership."

"Yoo-hoo." Miko jumped up and down.

"How is that possible?" Arcee asked. "The Matrix was left in the planet's core with Unicron."

"Hellllooooo." Miko was starting to look pissed.

"Well, no matter how it got there." Chromia said. "We need to get to it before the 'Cons do."

Every Autobot turned to Optimus. The Prime stared at the monitor for a moment, sorrow and fatigue evident in his stance. Finally he spoke. "I agree, as odd as its reappearance is, we must retrieve the Matrix before the Decepticons. Ratchet, lock on to the coordinates and prepare—"

"HEY!" Miko screamed. Everyone turned to her. "Has anybody noticed that Jack and the two newcomers aren't here?"

Miko was right; they were nowhere to be scene.

"Where'd they go?" Raf asked.

"I think I have an idea." Ratchet said. "The groundbridge log, it shows that the groundbridge has been used some twenty minutes ago."

"What was the location?" Optimus asked.

"Almost the exact same coordinates as the Matrix" Ratchet said.

"Aw crap." Miko mumbled.

* * *

><p>Jack, Lola, and Zig-zag stuggled against the cold wind as they made their way up the mountain.<p>

"You sure we're going the right way?" Zig-zag yelled.

"I don't know," Lola said. "Ask the kid with the Key!"

"We're going the right way." Jack called over the wind.

"How do you know?" Lola asked.

Jack shrugged. "I just do."

"That's good enough for me." Ziggy said.

They continued on for several more minutes. Then Jack pushed them to the ground.

"Stay down." He said, eyes on the sky. "Decepticons."

Lola and Zig-zag followed his gaze, swearing when they saw the _Nemesis_ hovering in the sky a few miles away.

"Please tell me we're close." Lola said.

"Very." Jack said, pointing his thumb over his shoulder. "The entrance is right there."

Sure enough, when Ziggy and Lola turned, there was a small opening in the mountain.

"You know, Jack." Zig-zag said. "You're a lot more like your sister than you know."

The three quickly hurried into the mountain.

"I really hate caves." Lola sighed.

The ground shook and the entrance closed behind them.

"And that doesn't make me feel any better." Lola groaned.

"At least it will slow down the 'Cons," Ziggy said. "I hope."

"This way." Jack said.

"Uh, problem." Lola said. "We can't see an inch in front of us. How are we gonna know which way to go?"

Jack held up the Key which was glowing brightly, lighting up the gloom of the tunnel.

"That works." Zig-zag said.

The Key's light increased as they traveled further into the mountain. Eventually they entered a chamber, lit by the bright glow of an orb floating near the ceiling.

"That must be the Matrix." Jack said. Then he looked at the body lying beneath it. "Wow."

"Val sure makes for a bitchin' robot." Zig-zag chuckled.

"And I thought she could be intimidating when she was human." Lola said in awe.

Before them lay a sleek femme with black armor and silver accents. She looked to be a bit taller than Ratchet. Giant wings were tucked beneath her back, her legs were double jointed and ended in clawed feet, and a long tail stuck out from beneath her. Clawed hands were folded peacefully across her abdomen.

Jack took a deep breath and walked toward her, holding the Key to Vector Sigma out in front of him.

"Time to wake up, Sister."

* * *

><p>I shivered. "It's time."<p>

Alpha Trion nodded and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Remember what I have told you." He smiled. "Orion has his work cut out for him." And with that he disappeared.

I turned to Dad. "This is it."

He smiled. "This is it."

We hugged tightly.

"Tell your mother I love her." Dad said. "And tell Jack I'm proud of him."

"Will do." I said.

"Go get 'em, Valiant." Dad said.

He disappeared too.

I approached the doors. They opened at the slightest push now.

I breathed deeply. "Let's do this."

I stepped through.

* * *

><p>The Key sent a bolt of energy through the robot. The femme jolted then stilled.<p>

"Is that it?" Lola asked.

"Look." Zig-zag whispered.

The slightest twitch of a finger then an arm moved ever so slightly. Shoulders rolled and flexed, legs stretched.

"Val." Jack called.

The robot stilled. Then, slowly, the optics onlined.

One was black. One was white.

**Val's new form description! **

**If I could draw anything other than horrible stick figures then I'd have posted pictures for you guys, but seeing as I can't I'll do my best with descriptions. Let's start with her alt-mode and work backwards from there. If you've ever seen the movie **_**How to Train Your Dragon**_**, Val's design is basically the same as Toothless the Nightfury's. Compact, sleek, built for speed, short neck (I really didn't want to give her dragon form a long neck, that'd be an awkward transformation), large wings, and a long tail with fins on the end. I wish I could go into better description of her bi-pedal mode but I gotta get ready for school. Short cut: watch the 90's cartoon **_**Gargoyles**_**; Val's bi-pedal form is similar to that of Angela's or Demona's. I gotta go. I promise I'll have a better description next time! **

**Bye! **


	24. Reunions

**This is the second to last chapter for this story *sniffle* but the sequel is coming up next! And it's going to have way more adventure and relationship development in it. I've got about a dozen ideas all jumping up and down yelling "Pick me! Pick me!" So I'm really excited to get started on that. I hope all of you will stick with me through the sequel as well. Hope you enjoy this chapter. **

** I don't own Transformers.**

The first thing I saw was the Matrix hovering above me. Then I glanced at the walls of the cave, the ancient carvings adding a mystical feature to the cavern. I had to admit, I was impressed with my tomb's décor. I almost felt sorry that I wouldn't be using it anymore.

Almost.

No offense to the tomb, but I was glad to be alive again.

Slowly I raised my hands—servos were the term Alpha Trion told me—in front of me. The metal was a gleaming black; my fingers ended in pointed claws. I flexed my hands, curling and uncurling my fingers. It felt the same as when I was human.

I sat up, looking at my legs. They were double jointed like a cat's. That was going to take some time to get used to. Leaning against a wall, I slowly stood. My legs took the weight with perfect balance, the talons on my feet—pedes, I reminded myself—dug in to the ground slightly. The change in height was astounding; I could easily brush the tips of my fingers against the ceiling of the cave. I rolled my shoulders, stretching my wings out. My wings, they were _huge_. They couldn't even unfurl fully in the cave. I touched one of them; the material was definitely metal, yet it had a soft, leathery feel to it.

Very cool, but also very weird.

A cough drew my attention downward. Zig-zag and Lola were staring up in awe at me. A boy stood between them, holding the Key to Vector Sigma. He had messy black hair, and grayish-blue eyes.

I smiled and knelt down. "Hey Jack."

A familiar lopsided grin lit up his face. "Hey Val, how's it going?"

I shrugged. "Oh you know, I died then came back as a giant robot. Still, I can't complain. How about you?"

"Well I found out I had a sister who sees spirits then I learned that I had to bring her consciousness back with an ancient alien key. Same old, same old." Jack mimicked my shrug.

Zig-zag chuckled. "Yeah, those two are definitely related."

I turned toward him and Lola. "Are you guys ok?"

"Well Val, I'm glad you asked." Lola said. "Because I SURE AS HELL AIN'T OK!"

Ziggy dragged Jack out of the way as Lola stormed up to me.

"How could you!" she roared. "After all the shit we've been through, you just go off and get yourself killed! And there Ziggy and I are crying our eyes out, thinking we'd lost our best friend. And now you're back as a robot! THAT'S A HELL OF A LOT TO TAKE IN! DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH THERAPY I'M GOING TO NEED AFTER ALL OF THIS IS OVER?"

I sighed. "Would it make you feel better if you punched me?"

"Probably not." Lola huffed. "I'd most likely end up breaking my hand. So I'll just settle for glaring at you."

She then proceeded to cross her arms and do just that.

Zig-zag meanwhile began to chuckle at something behind me. His laughter got lauder and lauder with each passing minute.

"What's so funny?" I asked.

Zig-zag pointed and said. "Nice tail you got there, Val."

I turned and stared. Sure enough there it was: my tail. Alpha Trion had told me I'd have one. But it sure was different being told than actually seeing and _feeling_ that I had a tail. I swept it across the ground, feeling when rocks bumped up against it. My tail was long with two fins, made of the same material as my wings, that opened and closed.

Forget the wings; this was hands down the weirdest thing about my new form.

"If you start chasing your tail, I swear I'm gonna piss my pants." Zig-zag laughed.

I rolled my eyes—optics was the Cybertronian word I think—and swished my tail out to knock Ziggy over.

I smiled as I watched him fall. "You know, this tail might come in quite handy."

"Bully." Zig-zag mumbled, getting to his feet.

I knocked him over again.

"I hate to be the one to break up this reunion." Jack said. "But we need to get Val and the Matrix out of here before the Decepticons get here."

I frowned. "Decepticons? What exactly did I miss while I was dead?"

* * *

><p>Optimus Prime stepped out of the groudbridge; Ironhide, Chromia, and Arcee flanked him on his right while Bumblebee, Wheeljack, and Bulkhead stood to his left.<p>

"Looks like somebody already beat us to the party." Wheeljack said, pointing up at the _Nemesis_ hovering not far above them.

"Think they spotted us?" Bulkhead asked.

A swarm of fighter drones lifted up from the ship like a swarm of angry hornets and flew toward the Autobots.

"That answer your question?" Ironhide snorted, charging his cannons.

The drones transformed and landed, circling the Autobots.

"We're outnumbered." Chromia stated. "Are the odds usually this bad?"

"Pretty much." Arcee said.

A sleek Cybertronian jet raced towards them. Transforming, the Lord of the Decepticons sauntered over to where the Autobots stood.

Optimus glared at him."Megatron."

"Well Optimus, it appears you've regained your memories and a few extra lackeys." Megatron chuckled. "Pity they won't last."

"We'll last longer than your sorry aft." Ironhide snarled.

"We shall see." Megatron said. "Now Optimus, I am going venture a guess as to why you're here. I don't suppose you've detected a certain energy signal? One that belongs to a very powerful relic of the Primes?"

"The Matrix of Leadership will never belong to you." Optimus said.

"You are in no position to make such a decision." Megatron stated. "Hmm, capture the Matrix and destroy the last of the Primes? I believe humans call that killing two birds with one stone."

Megatron turned to his minions.

"Kill them."

* * *

><p>My head jerked up at the slight vibrations echoing through the cave.<p>

"There's a fight going on not far from here." I said. "At least that's what I think is happening."

"The 'Bots must've arrived." Jack said. "We need to get the Matrix to them."

"One problem." Lola said. "The entrance to the cave closed. How're we supposed to get out?"

Zig-zag stared at her. "You're kidding right?"

"What?" Lola demanded.

Ziggy looked pointedly at me.

"Oh right." Lola laughed sheepishly.

"Just give me a sec." I said.

I stared at the ceiling, concentrating. Slowly, I pushed my hand forward. The cave rumbled and shook. Part of the ceiling began to crumble and fall away. Soon light filtered through a whole just big enough for me to fit through.

"Now we're in business." I said.

"What about the Matrix?" Jack asked.

"Uh." I reached up and gently grabbed the handles of the orb. I looked down at it. "I know Optimus is supposed to have you, but you wouldn't mind if I carried you for a bit would you?"

Surprisingly, I did not feel like a complete idiot talking to an inanimate object.

The Matrix hummed gently in response. The plating above my chest opened, and the Matrix floated inside, resting peacefully against my spark chamber. Energy whizzed through me as my armor closed up. I remembered that Alpha Trion had told me my spark casing was actually the Star Saber reformed. I guess even if the Saber was no longer a blade it still had a ton of power when combined with the Matrix.

"You ok?" Jack asked.

"Yep, I feel great." I said. "Like I could run twenty miles or swim the Atlantic or…" I glanced up at my wings. "Or fly."

I felt something click into place in my mind. With a whir my transformation began. I dropped onto my hands as my spinal struts realigned. My arms became thicker, hands turning into taloned paws. My head flattened a bit, optics shifting apart. The whole process took only a few seconds. I paced the cave, testing my balance. Turns out, walking on four legs is just as easy as walking on two.

Jack, Lola, and Ziggy stared at me, mouths agape.

"Dragon." Zig-zag sqeaked.

I snorted and rolled my optics. My vocals moved during the transformation so they wouldn't be injured when I breathed fire, sadly this made regular speech impossible.

I crouched low to the ground. Though I was half my height in this form, I still managed to tower over the three of them.

"You expect us to climb on board?" Lola asked.

I nodded. _How else do you expect to get out of here?_

Casting glances between them, they scrambled up my foreleg and onto my back. Soon they were perched on my shoulders and back, gripping the armor there.

"There aren't any seatbelts up here." Jack said.

I snorted. _Just hold on. _

I crouched beneath the hole then lunged upward. My claws caught on the stone and I began to pull myself up. Keeping my wings tucked tight against me, I hauled myself through the hole. My optics adjusted to the sunlight and I gazed around. A vast expanse of mountains and forest stretched out beneath me. A breeze wafted past, carrying the scent of early wildflowers from the ground below.

I could _smell_ flowers from way up here.

Cool and weird.

I looked over my shoulder to make sure Lola, Jack, and Ziggy hadn't fallen off.

Jack was pointing into the distance. "Look."

I followed his gaze to see the _Nemesis_ floating about a mile away. Smoke rose from the trees beneath it. My eyesight could make out the blaster fire from the ground and the shapes of the opponents.

"We'd better hurry." Jack said.

I nodded. My wings unfurled and began to rise.

Zig-zag snorted. "Oh please, Val you're a metal dragon with no boosters or rockets. You probably won't even get a foot off the grou—"

My wings flapped downward. I shot into the air like a bullet. Cool wind whistling against my metal skin. I slowed and hovered in the air several hundred feet above the ground. I looked back to see the three of them clinging to my back. Gone was Ziggy's arrogant look. In its place was a stunned look complete with windswept hair that stuck straight up.

"Never mind." Zig-zag croaked.

I chuckled and took off toward the battle. With my legs tucked beneath me and my wings and tail working in tandem at the slightest thought, I cut through the air like a blade. There was no mistake, I was built for flight.

"Drones!" Jack yelled over the wind.

Three strange planes shot towards us. A second later they began shooting. I roared out a challenge and sped up. Heat flooded through my abdomen. I opened my jaws.

_Wham! _

White fire shot out of my mouth, obliterating two of the drones. The third turned and fled. I took it out with another blast.

"Remind me never to piss you off." Lola yelled.

I was maybe a quarter mile from the battle when I angled downward and landed.

"What are you doing?" Ziggy asked. "The fight's that way."

I snorted and motioned for them to get off.

"You can't leave us here." Lola said.

"She doesn't want to bring us into the fight." Jack said, climbing off.

I nodded. I needed to help Optimus and the others, and I couldn't throw myself completely into the fray while worrying about those three on my back. I didn't want to leave them here. But for now it was the best option.

Zig-Zag and Lola grumbled but hopped off.

"Kick some Decepticon ass for us." Lola said.

I growled in agreement. _Will do. _

I took off, accelerating toward the battle. Several more drones headed my way.

I roared. _Bring it on! _

* * *

><p>The battle was chaotic to say the least. Blaster fire was shot from both sides; the scrape and clank of metal filled the air from hand-to-hand combat. The Autobots beat back dozens of drones, but for every drone they destroyed another took its place. Optimus and Megatron were sparring off, circling each other. Neither could land a fatal blow upon the other. But it was clear that Optimus was not throwing himself fully into the battle.<p>

"What's the matter Optimus?" Megatron jeered. "You seem to be lacking your usually spark."

Optimus said nothing, only swung his blade at Megatron's head. Megatron parried the blow with ease, using the momentum of Optimus' attack to knock the Prime down. Optimus hit the ground with a loud thud. As he struggled to his feet, he found Megatron's blade at his throat.

"Optimus!" Ironhide yelled. He tried to rush to his friend's aide but found his path blocked by several drones.

"Well Optimus, this seems to be your journey's end." Megatron said. "I must admit, I expected you to go out with more of a fight."

A high pitched whistling sound pierced the air, getting louder and louder with each passing second. Then the world seemed to light up with white fire. The blast sent Megatron flying several feet. For their part, the Autobots were not harmed by the attack, but the same couldn't be said for most of the drones. Optimus squinted at the flame wreckage surrounding him. A silhouetted figure stepped in front of him, large wings blocking out the sun. The figure placed her hands on her hips and cocked her head to the side.

"Looks like you guys were in deeper shit than I thought."

Optimus stiffened at the sound of that voice.

It couldn't be.

He looked up at the mysterious 'Bot's face. One black optic and one white looked back at him.

"You…" Optimus whispered, his spark began to pulse rapidly.

The femme smiled crookedly. "Yes, me."

"How dare you!" Megatron snarled as he rose to his feet. "What kind of pit-spawned slagger are you?"

The femme turned towards him. "Judging from the arrogant and enraged tone, I'm guessing you're Megatron."

"And your name?" Megatron demanded. "I'd like to know the name of the insolent femme whose spark I'm about to rip out."

"No." Optimus struggled to his feet, but the femme just pushed him back down.

"Aw, that's so considerate of you, Megs." She said, smirking when Megatron snarled. "The name's Val. It's short for Valiant."

* * *

><p>I probably should've been terrified facing off against the feared ruler of the Decepticons. But after everything I've been through, and the power of the Matrix and Star Saber coursing through my frame, I just couldn't seem to be afraid. Intimidated sure, but not afraid. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the other Autobots hurry to Optimus. Megatron stalked toward me, rage gleaming in his eyes.<p>

I smiled and crouched. "Let's dance, Ugly."

Megatron charged, blade ready to strike. I jumped just as he swung at me, flipping through the air and landing behind him. I spun and reached my hands around him, claws scraping across his face. His arm swung back but by then I'd already jumped away. Megatron turned, and I laughed when I caught sight of his face. Scratch marks ran across each of his cheeks, leaking blue energon. It made him look like he had whiskers.

"Aww you look like a little kitty-cat." I laughed.

Yep, that definitely pissed him off.

He flew at me, blade slicing through the air so quick I could barely dodge the attacks. The blade managed to knick my right arm. I hissed as I watched energon seep from my armor. I flicked my tail, wrapping it around his left leg. I yanked it back and Megatron lost his balance, landing on the ground with a thud. Megatron struggled to up, but by the Optimus and the others had circled him, guns drawn.

"If I were you I'd cut my loses and run for it." I said.

Megatron glared at me, but I also saw wariness in his eyes. I was a new threat, one that had yet to be figured out.

"That is quite the femme you've found." Megatron growled at Optimus.

"You have no idea." I said.

"I'll see you again, Valiant. And next time you will not be so confident." With that Megatron transformed and took off, racing back towards the _Nemesis_. Ironhide fired a few rounds but Megatron was already well out of range.

I turned toward the Autobots, most of whom were staring at me with looks ranging from confusion to amazement.

"So...uh that was…fun?" I said awkwardly.

A hand grabbed my injured arm. I spun to see Optimus inspecting it, carefully avoiding eye contact.

"It was foolish of you to engage in battle with Megatron, especially when you have so little knowledge of fighting Cybertronians." He said, gently running his fingers against the wound which had already stopped leaking energon.

"Yeah, but you and I both know that foolish is par for the course with me." I said.

Optimus sighed and raised his head to look me, his expression was inscrutable. "Indeed Val, it seems no matter what form you take, you are still the same headstrong creature you always are."

"I'm going to take that as a compliment." I said. "You going to introduce me to the rest of the gang?"

Optimus turned toward the others. "Autobots, I would like you to meet Valerie Darby, or, as she now calls herself, Valiant."

I waved. "Just call me Val."

"Ok, hold up." Said a giant forest-green 'Bot. "Valerie Darby is Jack's sister right? And she—I mean you—is—are—was—human, and she—you—died. So how come she—I mean you—are an Autobot? Ugh, my processor hurts."

I sighed. "It's a long story. One that involves ancient Primes, ghosts, dark energon, Unicron, Gaea, the Star Saber, my dead Dad, and the Matrix. Oh that reminds me."

My armor opened and I withdrew the Matrix.

"I believe this belongs to you." I said, handing the relic to Optimus.

"The surprises never cease with you." Optimus said.

"I thought you would've figured that out by now." I smiled. "Oh and Jack still has the Key to Vector Sigma—oh crap!" I smack my hand against my head. "I left Jack, Lola, and Ziggy behind."

"Where are they?" asked the darker blue femme standing next to Chromia.

I pointed. "About a quarter mile in that direc—"

Just then Zig-zag came running out of the woods swatting at his clothes and shrieking.

"SPIDERS! They're all over me get them off, get them off!" he began to hop up and down, scratching furiously at his back.

Lola and Jack soon emerged after him, laughing hysterically.

"Jack, are you ok?" the dark blue femme demanded.

"I'm fine, Arcee." Jack laughed. "Can't say the same for Zig-zag though."

Ziggy was now rolling on the ground. Lola was laughing so hard she was gasping for breath.

Wheeljack shook his head. "You humans are the weirdest thing I've seen yet."

"Right, we'd better get out of here before Zig-zag starts going crazy…crazier." I said.

Optimus placed a finger against the side of his helm. "Ratchet, activate the groundbridge."

A moment later a swirling vortex of light appeared. My whole frame seemed to vibrate as I stepped through it. I emerged to find myself in a large hangar. Que and Perceptor stood nearby along with an orange and white 'Bot. Two kids stood on the balcony.

The girl, who looked to be about fourteen or fifteen, stared at me with an open mouth. "Who the heck are you?"

I was about to answer when a strangled cry echoed from the hanger.

"JACKSON DARBY!"

My spark skipped a beat at the sound of that voice. I looked down to see a dark-haired woman race toward Jack, wrapping him in a tight embrace.

"Don't you ever run off like that again young man." She sobbed. "I've already lost one child, I won't lose another."

"But Mom I—"

"What were you thinking?" she demanded.

"Uh, excuse me." I said.

She turned toward me. "Who is this?" she asked.

"Well…uh you see…I'm…uh." I had no idea how I was going to do this. I've been waiting so long to me my mother and now I was too afraid to say anything. I despaired for a moment until I remember one last trick that Alpha Trion had told me about. A program, new and unique to my form, one that would help me blend in with society. My frame shuddered as I activated my Pretender program. I began to shrink, to fold in upon myself. The molecules that made up my body began to realign to take on my third and final form.

When I was done, I was my five-foot-ten human self. I wore the same clothes that I'd had one me when I'd died, my hair was in its usual unruly mess. All in all, I looked exactly like my old self, yet I was completely different.

"Holy crap." I heard Zig-zag mutter.

My mother stared at me, wide-eyed and mouth agape.

"Uh, hi." I said. "I'm Val Darby. I know I'm not human anymore, but I was once." That sounded so pathetic.

My mother approached me and hesitantly laid and hand on my cheek. "Val?"

"Yeah, listen, I know it's a lot to take in but if—"

I was cut short when she threw her arms tightly around my neck. Her shoulder shook with sobs.

"I don't care what you came back as." She whispered. "Just as long as you're back. I've missed you so much, Val."

It took me a moment to find my voice. "I've missed you too, Mom." I choked out.

At that moment peace seeped through my entire being. It didn't matter what the future held, right then everything was perfect.

And I was going to hold on to that moment as tightly as I could.

**One chapter left! **


	25. Just the Beginning

***Drum roll* And here it is folks! The end, the last chapter, the grand finale! I can't believe it's over. But there are some exciting things yet to come! The sequel is going to follow (roughly) the episodes of season two (though there are going to be some **_**major**_** adjustments) but it's going to branch off in its own little adventures with Val and various members of the group. It'll start just after Operation Bumblebee part two. Some things you might see: the Dinobots, the Loch Ness monster, Skyfire, basilisks, some Greek gods, Nemesis Prime, Viking zombies (don't ask), a stalker or two, ghost Breakdown (I was seriously pissed at how they killed him off in "Crossfire"), giant sea serpents, an army of Civil War ghosts (my Dad's a bit of a Civil War nut so I just had to add something about it), maybe a kraken (no **_**Pirates of the Caribbean**_** jokes please), and lots more. **

** Here's the last chapter, hope you like it. **

** I don't own Transformers.**

As a human, I'd never liked check-ups. Actually just anything to do with doctors and hospitals in general I disliked.

If I caught the flu?

I'd just fix myself a bowl of chicken-noodle soup and down a shot of Nyquil.

If I sprained an ankle?

I'd bind it myself.

If I got food poisoning?

I'd campout in the bathroom for a few days.

If I got bitten by a rabid squirrel?

Ok, _then_ I'd go to the hospital.

And it seemed that my dislike of all things doctor-ish hadn't changed with my new form. Which meant that I really wasn't all that comfortable laying on a berth while Perceptor and the Autobot medic Ratchet ran scans over me.

I squirmed a bit. "You done yet Doc?"

"I'll give you the exact same answer I gave you five minutes ago when you asked." Ratchet said while looking at readouts on a monitor. "_No_."

I sighed, my tail flicking in annoyance.

After my little family reunion, I sat down and told them my entire story, starting from my first meeting with Prima to when I awoke in my new form. I did leave out a few details like a certain drunken _incident_ in Alaska (Optimus hadn't said anything about it and Lola and Zig-zag were wisely keeping their mouths shut). After I'd told them about the modifications to my frame, Ratchet had dragged me off for several medical scans. They were all particularly interested in my ability to produce my own energon, thus making me self-sufficient. Something that Cybertronians couldn't do.

"Are you don—"

"No." Ratchet growled. "And if you ask again I'll make sure the scans take twice as long."

This guy had all the bedside manners of a school of piranhas.

Before I could come up with a snappy comeback a loud bang echoed from down the hall. Smoke soon began to waft from that direction.

"Que!" Ratchet roared and stormed off.

Leaving me in the room with only Perceptor for company. I looked at him, he looked at me.

He sighed. "Just don't let Ratchet catch you."

I whooped. "Thanks Perce, I owe you."

I slunk out of the room and dashed away in the opposite direction of the smoke. I had just rounded a corner when I ran into some poor unsuspecting 'Bot, knocking them to the floor. The dark blue femme stared up at me.

"If you're trying to escape Ratchet you're going to have to be quieter than that." She said.

"Right, sorry." I said, offering a hand to help her up. "Lucky for me Que's got him distracted."

She took my hand. "Yeah I've heard about him. We'll be lucky if we live to see the next month."

Something registered in my mind when I looked at her paint job. A favor that I owed to a spirit.

"You're Arcee right?" I asked.

"Yes." She nodded.

"I uh have a message for you." I said, awkwardly rubbing the back of my head. It didn't help that I was almost double her size and had to look down at her. Sheesh, why did Primus and Gaea have to make me so freakin' tall?

"Message?"

I nodded. "From Cliffjumper."

Arcee's optics widened, her voice came out in a whisper. "Yeah, that's right, you talked to his spirit."

"Yeah, and before he passed back into the well of sparks he asked me to pass a message on to you."

"What is it?"

I sighed, trying to put Cliffjumper's message into nicer words. But then I figured that he'd want me to tell it as it was.

"Scrap happens." I said, grimacing slightly as I saw Arcee look taken aback. "He said that scrap happens and you shouldn't beat yourself up over it."

Arcee stared vacantly at me for a moment. Then, slowly, a sad smile spread across her face.

"That definitely sounds like something Cliff would say." She said. "Thank you."

"Don't thank me. I owed Cliffjumper big time. If it weren't for him, I would've never found the _Nemesis_."

Before she could respond I heard familiar footsteps echoing down the corridor: Ratchet was on the prowl.

"I gotta go." I said. "If Ratchet asks, you never saw me."

I took off down the hall. I wound through the corridors, not quite sure where I was going except that I had this vague sense I was heading upward. Eventually I reached a large hatch which I popped open and climbed through. I was on the roof of the base. Beneath me the Nevada desert stretched out into the distance, the sands turning a molten gold from the light of the fading sun. I walked to the edge, taking in the scents carried by the dry hot wind. In the distance, a lone coyote howled. It's call echoing over the landscape, mournful yet beautiful. I sighed contentedly. How odd: this place was the exact opposite of the rainy Washington I was so used to, yet it filled me with the same peace as any pine forest or foggy seaside could.

"Amazing isn't it? How the landscape can change so much. So beautiful."

I turned to see Gaea standing beside me, the same height as me.

Well she was a goddess, I guess it wasn't very goddess-like to have to crane her head back to talk to anybody.

"So uh what brings you to Nevada?" I asked.

"Well, to begin with, I brought a few of your friends with me." She said.

"Friends?" I asked.

Gaea nodded and waved her hand. Two images appeared in the air before us, one was a spider, the other a cat.

"Anansi and Bast!" I said.

The spider clicked a greeting and the cat purred.

Gaea smiled. "Yes, they seem to have grown quite fond of you. When they discovered that you lived they requested to be contracted to you again. If you choose to have them, of course."

"Sure." I said, watching as etchings appeared on my armor as the spirits took their place. "So this means I'm still a _Spiritus_?"

"Of course." Gaea said. "You are a descendant of the Firsts, you will always be a _Spiritus _no matter what form you take, and it is your duty as a descendant, and now as the dragon, to keep the balance between this world and the other side. Which leads me to my next bit of news."

I suddenly had a sinking feeling. "This isn't going to be as nice as the first news, is it?"

"That depends on how you look at it." Gaea said. "There are going to be some _changes_."

"Oh crap, you're not gonna go all vengeful-force-of-nature-bent-to-wreck-havoc-on-an-ungrateful-humanity, _Day After Tomorrow _sort of thing, are you?"

That seemed counterproductive after everything I'd been through, but I didn't know how a goddess's mind worked.

Gaea laughed. "Though that may seem a bit tempting sometimes, no I'm not going to do that. What I meant to say was that when I gained full control of this world, some, shall we saw, _doorways_ were opened into the other side."

"Zombie apocalypse?" I croaked, imagining thousands of ghost floating back to their corpses.

"No, no, no, the dead are staying dead." Gaea assured me. "No, it's just some ah _beings_ will be entering this world."

"You mean monsters?"

Gaea sighed. "That's a derogatory name. They are simply creatures of the other side. Powerful spirits, some are even gods. Some already live in this world: the Loch Ness monster, the Yeti, sea serpents…"

"Gremlins?" I joked. Gaea fixed me with a look. "Sorry, continue please."

"Not all of the creatures mean harm." Gaea said. "They will live peacefully among humanity. Others, however, are not so gentle. And it is your duty as a dragon to keep those creatures in line or banish them back to the other side."

"Why can't you do it?"

"I'm only a single goddess." Gaea sniffed. "I can't be everywhere at once."

"Isn't being everywhere at once one of the requirements of being a god?" I asked. Gaea fixed me with another look. "Sorry."

"Regardless, it is _your_ duty to keep the balance." Gaea said. "I'm not allowed to get too involved."

"Alright, so monster hunter," I said. "Got it. I'll just add that to my list of other titles that include: spirit seer, M.E.C.H fighter, and Decepticon butt-kicker. So how do I get started, are you going to give me some clues, or did this new form come with a monster GPS?"

Gaea smiled. "You must simply keep your eyes and ears open."

"You mean wing it? It's a good thing I'm an expert at that." I said.

"You'll have everything you'll need right here." Gaea said, pointing at my head and my spark. "You'll do fine."

"Well that makes one of us who believes in me." I said.

"Oh there are many who believe in you." Gaea said. "Especially a certain Prime."

"What do you mean by that?" I asked.

Gaea simply winked and disappeared in a breeze.

"Hey, wait a second!" I shouted into the air. "You can't just leave after telling me that! I want an explanation! Hello? Come on, that's not fair!"

"Why are you shouting into the wind?"

I spun around to see Optimus standing by the roof entrance.

"Oh you know, just talking to an incredibly cryptic and annoying goddess." I said. "The usual.

"I cannot say that I am surprised by that answer." Optimus said.

He came to stand beside me. My spark sped up a bit.

"So did Ratchet send you up here, or are you escaping from any mayhem that Que and Zig-zag may have caused?" I asked.

"Neither." He said.

I waited for him to continue but he just stood there, gazing out at the horizon.

"Uh so why are you up here then?"

Optimus frowned a bit, eyes expressing confusion. "I am not entirely sure."

"I guess you just missed me so much that you went to look for me." I joked, sort of.

"No that is not it." Optimus said quickly, almost stumbling over the words.

I frowned. "Then _why_ are you here?"

"I suppose I am here to formally welcome you into the Autobot ranks." Optimus said.

"Uh thanks, but I would've been happy with just a card." I said. I reached out to jokingly slap Optimus on the arm but he stepped away.

I frowned again and took a step towards him. He took a step back.

Another step forward. Another step back.

Forward. Back.

"Ok, what's with the distancing thing?" I demanded.

"What?" Optimus asked, avoiding eye contact. He took another step back.

"That right there!" I said. "We've been through so much crap together and now you're treating me like I caught robo-chicken pox! What gives?"

"It is nothing." He said. "I just do not think it is professional for us to keep up this…attitude between us."

"What are you talking about? We're friends."

"Colleagues." Optimus said.

"Bullshit. You and Ratchet are colleagues." I said. "What we have isn't that. I'm not even sure you can call it friendship anymore." Why the heck was he acting like this?

"There is nothing between us." Optimus insisted.

My optics narrowed. "You're afraid."

"What?"

"You're afraid of what this is, of what this is becoming." I said. "You were hurt when I died and now you afraid."

"I am not afraid." Optimus growled.

Like lightning I moved to stand in front of him, hands clamping onto his shoulders to prevent him from moving away. I stood on tiptoes, bringing my face close to his.

"Prove it." I whispered.

I sealed the distance between us, pressing my lips against his. He stiffened for a second then his arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me tightly against him. The kiss became deeper as need and longing made themselves evident. Optimus's hold on me became almost painful as he pressed me closer. My spark began to warm and I could feel Optimus's doing the same, sending a sensation of pure pleasure through me. Too soon though, it ended. Optimus pulled himself away, staggering back a step.

"I should not have done that." He said though his eyes stilled showed the excitement and longing in them. "That shall not happen again." He seemed to be saying it more to himself than to me.

"Challenge accepted." I said.

"What?"

"If there's one thing that I know for sure it's that everyone in this world needs to love and be loved by someone." I said. "You're no exception to that rule Optimus Prime. So I'm not going to give up. I'm going to keep teasing, and taunting, and tempting you until you admit your feelings."

"You will not succeed." Optimus said though his voice lacked confidence.

"Oh I know it won't be easy." I laughed. "You can be an incredibly stubborn 'Bot when you want to be. But I'm stubborn too."

I walked toward the edge of the cliff.

"Where are you going?" Optimus demanded.

"Don't worry, I'm not leaving you." I said, smiling when he scowled. "I just need to make a temporary retreat before a certain grouchy medic finds me and carts me off for more tests."

With that I jumped off the cliff, flipping and transforming as I fell. My wings snapped open and I shot upward. I looped through the clouds, feeling the cool condensation against my armor. Roaring, I poured on as much speed as I could. The landscape became nothing more than a blur beneath me. This new form and this new life, with all its ups and downs, were going to fit me just fine. The future was a wonderful blend of excitement and the unknown. And I was going to face it head-on with claws drawn and fire in my spark.

And I would always remember to be Valiant.

**The end…for now. **

**For those of you who were hoping that Val and Optimus would get together at the end, sorry but that won't happen until later. I know, I'm evil. Mwuahaha! **

**So now Val is gonna have to fight Decepticons, M.E.C.H, and a whole bunch of monsters. Oh what fun. Oh, and besides Anansi and Bast, Val is also going to have those two wind spirits Zephyros and Euros on her team (I just had to bring those two goofballs back). I'll hopefully have the sequel up in a week or less. What's the title? You'll know it when you see it *grins evilly*. **

**Now it's time for some responses and major thanks to my amazing, astounding, absolutely awesome readers. **

**primesgirl4: **Hope this chapter has enough Val and Optimus alone time for you. : ) Though I'm not planning on the other 'Bots getting pretender programs, they will definitely be using holoforms in the sequel (once Que invents it, that is)

**kukuiopunk: **Aww shucks you're makin' me blush, thank you so much. And yes, I am a proud _Gargoyles_ fan. Brooklyn is my favorite. : )

**Sailor Shinzo: **Don't worry, I didn't forget. : )

**janit3443: **Hmm, I see you've caught the _Surfin' Bird_ plague. I am a victim of it too. Just a few weeks ago I was at my friend's house playing that Wii dance game. They'd set the song chooser at random; it was my turn to go up and guess what song came on? _Surfin Bird_ by the Trashmen. Needless to say, I lost that round because I was too busy trying not to rupture my lungs from laughing.

**GalaxyWarrioress1234: **Hope this chapter saved you from exploding.

**Luna636: **I'll try and get the sequel up as soon as I can, but the next few days are gonna be busy for me helping my family prep for the holiday and all. I'll do my best though.

**TheChippedCup: **Yeah, she reminds me a little of the Dinobots too (which might be a little advantage when she meets the Dinobots in the sequel) But I've grown so used to her image that I don't really think about it. The only problem I had was choosing her height. Initially I'd thought of her being Arcee's height (like you said) but then I realized that she'd need size in her advantage when she faces some of the creatures and 'Cons in the sequel.

**And thank you to: Transformers' Baby, Ms. Sideswipe, AlexisOptimus, Jazz-Transformers, Luna Prime-Awesomeness, Invader Ivy, EvilPurpleCookiePenkeyMonguin, Autobot Fixit, wheeljacksgirl, Manderss.x.x, DemonQueen007, Moment-Of-Reason, hoshigakisakura, Black Stars Girl, bee-rox98, TheLoveDov, Devil-O-Angel, and Answerthecall. All of your reviews and support have meant a lot to me, hugs and energon cookies for everybody. I hope that you enjoy the sequel as much as **_**Valiant Spirits**_**. I think I'm gonna start to cry now *sniffle*. **

**Goodbye until the sequel! **

—**Wolfwitch94 **


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